WORKS

This work, "Nachi Falls," is a reversed copy of the "Nachi Falls" painting from the Kamakura period. The original "Nachi Falls" is known as a work that visualizes nature worship with the waterfall as a sacred object, and is also valued as a pioneer of landscape painting with a realistic sensibility. It is currently housed in the Nezu Museum in Tokyo and is displayed to the public once every few years as a national treasure.

It is believed that the "Nachi Falls Painting" was carefully preserved and worshipped as an alternative object of faith for people who were unable to visit the actual sacred site. In Japanese culture, when the real thing cannot be touched, images that serve as substitutes have played an important role. Typical examples include experiencing the romance of travel through Hiroshige's ukiyo-e prints, imagining the scenery of various places through illustrated guides to famous places, and climbing miniature Mount Fuji instead of actually climbing Mount Fuji.

While the original is a colored print on silk, this work is painted in oil on cotton cloth and is smaller than the original because it does not include the mounting of the hanging scroll. In other words, it is a deliberately created "imitation." In the Edo period, as ukiyo-e prints and illustrated guides to famous places became widely circulated, it is thought that the number of reproductions that conveyed only the atmosphere or simplified images increased. These were not necessarily received negatively; having one or two copies in each household served as a source of comfort and emotional support.

If the act of reproduction does not necessarily diminish value, then there is meaning in deliberately creating "counterfeits." This work can be positioned as an attempt to re-examine Japanese sensibilities surrounding faith, landscape, and reproduction.