Nº	No.0025
Title	Karakusa Sōsōki (唐草草創期)
Material	Oil painting, canvas.
Size	S100号(1,620×1,620mm)
Exhibition name	The 100th Anniversary Exhibition of the Hakujitsukai (Selected)

Picture description

The term "Karakusa" (唐草) refers to a traditional Japanese decorative motif featuring swirling vines and leaves. Sōsōki (草創期) means "early period" or "the beginning of creation." So, Karakusa Sōsōki can be translated as "The Early Period of Karakusa" or "The Beginnings of the Karakusa Motif."
This may refer to the origin or early use of the Karakusa pattern in art, design, or culture. The Karakusa pattern has deep historical roots in Japanese art, appearing in various forms on textiles, ceramics, and architecture, especially influenced by Chinese motifs during the Tang Dynasty.

The girls are watching the dawn of a new era.
There is a lot of play in this painting.
1. The Halley's Comet, a miracle that comes only once every 75 years, is depicted as ONE element.
2. The Karakusa tree, which bears fruit that is said to be able to seal away plagues, is shown with TWO trees.
3. The Summer Triangle, sparkling in the night sky with THREE stars: Vega of the Lyra constellation (Orihime), Deneb of the Cygnus constellation, and Antares of the Aquila constellation (Hikoboshi).
4. There are FOUR animals surround the figures in the painting.
5. There are FIVE girls of different ages: a preschooler (purple), an elementary school student (orange), a middle school student (light blue), a high school student (red), and a university student (blue).
6. There are SIX fountains, split on either side of the composition.

The composition is arranged within a perfect pentagon. Connecting the corners of the pentagon will form a star shape. The wooden deck in the background is shaped like a violin, and the broom of Halley's Comet is represented by five lines, symbolizing musical notes for the stars: C, C, G, G, A, A, G. This corresponds to the melody of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,"

So, as you can guess, the music that can be heard meanwhile is Mozart's "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Variations."

Shigeru Tanaka, the artist, has a principle when creating his paintings. When he paints, he wants even elementary school children to be able to undestand the pictures. So when they look at them, they will say something like, "Wow, this is amazing!" He believes that a painting that appeals to elementary school children will also be appreciated by adults.

Creative process

Detailed photo