Kirinjisi (a Legendary Lion)

In this work characterized by eye-catching vermilion, a standing Kirinjishi (lion) is painted onto the right hand screen, while the Shojo character leading it is painted onto the left one. The lion’s image is based on sketches Saito Nakashima made of a lion mask he borrowed from the Kuritani Shrine in Tottori. As opposed to the human figure painted with intense brushstrokes, the artist let the colors bleed into the canvas in order to depict the softly textured woven cloth of the lion’s body. The (back) ground is expressed using gold leaf only without adding painted lines. While there is virtually no movement in this painting, it is charged with an artful combination of tension and quietness achieved through the inclusion of plenty of empty space.