The Beauty of Silence

Not much biographical attention has been paid to this Japanese graphic artist. His woodblock prints appear often for sale at auction. But as the subject of most prints are Noh performance climaxes they elicit little enthusiasm about the artist. Noh theatre is classic and stylized.You have to know why what you see is so spare and static. What is interesting is the fact Kogyo's career as an illustrator occured long before he started doing the Noh prints.. Happily this book is a lovely tribute to his oeuvre. The publisher, Hotei, can be counted on to produce books of lasting value, beautifully designed and scholarly in nature. Their books are pricey but are well worth the price.