Windy Field (Nowake)

The wood surface of these six separate panels was laboriously chiseled in a pattern that flows rhythmically. To soften the surface, a layer of paper was laid down and over this a coating of red opaque watercolor (gouache) was applied. The gouache was then covered with strokes of graphite. This process gave the surface a complex color quality: the red of the gouache can be seen through the gray of the graphite, resulting in a color that is neither gray nor red.

Like many Japanese works, this piece is somewhat deceptive. Behind its seemingly simple and rustic appearance lies a painstaking and time-consuming process. This is a quality that is often admired in Japanese art.