Black Enso
Artist
Masako Takahashi
American, b. 1944
Place of OriginSan Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco, California
Date2014
PeriodHeisei period (1989-2019)
MaterialsInkjet print on paper
DimensionsImage: H. 17 5/8 in × W. 17 3/4 in (44.8 cm × 45.1 cm)
Overall: H. 22 13/16 in × W. 22 1/16 in (57.9 cm × 56 cm)
Matted: H. 24 5/16 in × W. 24 9/16 in (61.8 cm × 62.4 cm)
Overall: H. 22 13/16 in × W. 22 1/16 in (57.9 cm × 56 cm)
Matted: H. 24 5/16 in × W. 24 9/16 in (61.8 cm × 62.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of the artist
Object number2017.13
DepartmentJapanese Art
ClassificationsPrints And Drawings
On View
Not on viewThese two enso circles (2017.12 and 2017.13) are created from a high-resolution scan of the artist’s hair. Masako Takahashi was born in the Topaz Relocation Center in Utah to Japanese American parents. Takahashi said: “Until recently I resisted the presumption that, being Japanese American, I should use Japanese iconography. After my father died in 2002, I perceived my personal history in a new way. I wanted to somehow experience that element of my past, and those feelings guided me to use the iconography of the ‘Zen zero’ symbol in the Hair Scan prints.”*
*Masako Takahashi official homepage: http://www. masakotakahashi.com/interview.html
