Author of Ice Isle (Hyötö): Portrait of Hagiwara Sakutarö

"Author of Ice Isle: Portrait of Hagiwara Sakutaro" represents Onchi's most celebrated single subject — the poet Hagiwara Sakutaro (1886-1942), whose tormented, intensely personal verse defined modern Japanese poetry. Onchi was deeply drawn to Hagiwara's work and created multiple portraits of the poet in multiple editions and variations. This version identifies the subject through the title of Hagiwara's most celebrated collection, "Ice Island" (Hyoto), connecting the visual portrait to the literary identity. The print's formal qualities — the fragments of the poet's face assembled through expressive mark-making rather than conventional likeness — embody the same poetic sensibility Onchi found in the verse.