Tsukioka Kogyo

Tsukioka Kogyo spent most of his working life on a single subject: Noh, Japan’s classical masked theatre. His prints and paintings show actors in costume and mask at key moments of the plays, with rich textiles, calm gestures and a lot of empty space around the figure.

He was born in Tokyo and was the student and adopted son of the woodblock master Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and also studied with Ogata Gekko. He worked through the Meiji and Taisho periods and published large series of Noh images, including Nogaku zue and Noga taikan, often sold as bound albums.

Pieces such as Atsumori and Arashiyama are named after the plays they show, so each picture captures a character from a specific story. Look for the careful patterns of the robes and the stillness of the poses.