Gesture - しぐさ

Printed around 1980 as a first edition, this oban print focuses on a woman's gesture, the Japanese title "Shigusa" referring to bearing, manner, or physical deportment. Shimura Tatsumi isolates a single movement or posture, elevating an ordinary physical action into a subject worthy of sustained attention. The composition strips away narrative context, presenting only the woman and her gesture against a minimal background. This late-career work reflects Shimura's lifelong fascination with the way women move and hold themselves, distilled to its most essential form after decades of observing and depicting the subtleties of feminine comportment.