Sun

"Sun" is a 1973 color intaglio print by Ouchi Makoto that takes on one of the most elemental subjects in art. The sun holds particular significance in Japanese culture, appearing on the national flag and embedded in the country's very name, Nihon, meaning "origin of the sun." Ouchi's intaglio rendering likely avoids the flat, graphic treatment of the hinomaru circle in favor of complex color layering that suggests radiance, heat, and atmospheric distortion. The etched plate surface allows for passages of luminous transparency alongside denser areas of concentrated pigment, creating a sense of energy radiating outward from a central source. The result transforms an instantly recognizable celestial body into an intimate, tactile experience grounded in the physicality of ink on paper.