Sitting

“I had some ideas before I started painting, but once I tried to realize them, nothing came out. It was neither this composition nor that pose. With the slight, yet vital aspects of the painting dwelling in my heart, unrealized, only the mannerisms and force of habit of daily life were left in the scene.” These are Akino's words on this piece at the time of creation. Although this work is a female nude, Akino pushed aside the tendencies of aesthetics and artistic taste and aimed for strong, stiff expression. Her layered brushwork using dark and solemn colors seems to show the anguish and searching that painters face as they undergo repeated attempts to express themselves.