Irises

Irises is a woodblock print exploring one of the most symbolically loaded flowers in Japanese art, the kakitsubata iris that grows along waterways and blooms in early summer. The iris is inseparable from the eighth chapter of the Ise Monogatari (Tales of Ise), in which the poet Ariwara no Narihira composed a famous acrostic poem using the syllables of "kakitsubata" while gazing at a bridge over an iris marsh. From Ogata Korin's folding screens to Edo-period textile patterns, the iris has been rendered in countless variations. Kokei brings his precise woodblock technique to this classical subject, each blade-like leaf and purple petal carved with the same controlled energy he applies to kabuki costume details.