Children in the Nude

This work debuted at the Shinseisaku Exhibition shortly after Sozo Bijutsu joined with the Shinseisakuha Society. Although this is but one of a series of works modeled on children following Boys in the Nude (1950), Akino states that in this work, she composed it with restrained colors for the boys and saw the nude figures of the children as a single cluster. The background was treated with foil, the lithe, child-like figures were outlined in black, and it was brought together as a whole through the monotone color. Through this concise use of color, the strength of the scene stands out all the more. The attention to the medium and bold composition of the canvas reflect the strong desire expressed by Akino when she said, “I want to express myself as I lived.”