by Ouchi Makoto
Key value factors: For living or recently deceased artists, limited edition size and gallery representation drive value. Signed and numbered prints from smaller editions are most desirable.
"Okame" from 1973 is an intaglio print depicting the cheerful, round-faced figure from Japanese folk tradition. Okame, also known as Otafuku, is a symbol of good fortune and mirth, typically shown with plump cheeks and a serene smile. She appears frequently in Noh and Kyogen theater as well as in festival masks. Ouchi Makoto renders this beloved folk character through the intaglio process, where the incised plate captures fine detail and tonal subtlety. The choice of subject connects Ouchi's contemporary practice to centuries of popular visual culture, while the Western printmaking technique recontextualizes Okame outside the woodblock tradition where she most commonly appears. The result is a print that feels both warmly familiar and technically distinct from its historical precedents.
Okame was created by Ouchi Makoto (大内マコト) in 1973.
Okame uses Etching, on intaglio.
