Space No. 36

The thirty-sixth entry in Masaji's "Space" series in English, distinct from but related to his "Kukan" series that uses the Japanese word for the same concept. The high number indicates a deeply committed investigation into spatial abstraction, each print probing different configurations of form and void. By the thirty-sixth iteration, the "Space" prints had become a kind of visual diary, recording Masaji's evolving understanding of how carved wood and printed pigment can evoke dimensionality on a flat surface. The sosaku-hanga principle of artist-as-sole-creator meant that each of these prints passed through Masaji's hands at every stage, from the initial design through carving, inking, and pressing. This direct physical involvement with the material process distinguishes the Space prints from purely conceptual exercises in spatial theory.