Iris No 127 — 花菖蒲 No 127

The one hundred twenty-seventh iris in Sugiura Kazutoshi's series shows a composition of considerable refinement — the hana-shōbu rendered with an economy of means that belies the technical complexity of its production. Each of Sugiura's layered prints requires multiple passes through the press, precise registration between silkscreen and woodblock elements, and careful application of gold leaf, yet the finished works project a quality of spontaneous directness. This apparent paradox — technical complexity producing visual simplicity — is one of the defining qualities of his mature work.