Yokai

YOKAI By Gonzalo Adrian Battaglia Ink wash on paper print on hand-torn 300 gsm rag paper, 2005.  "This ink wash drawing was inspired by Japanese ink drawings, and is a simple exercise in using empty space as an important part of the drawing: another technique inspired by Japanese art. The subject is inspired by the Japanese tradition of yokai, a mainstay of the Shinto religion. Yokai are spirits of nature or the deceased and can appear either to plague people or to help them, though they are often just mischievous and out to cause a scare. Although they are a very traditional belief in Japan, they continue to matter today and even live on as “urban legends.” — Gonzalo Adrian Battaglia