Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Drypoint on paper. 1964.
Signature: EO64 / Kuivnõel / EOkas 964

As an artist who loved to travel and was given the rare opportunity to do so in the 1960s, Evald Okas (1915-2011) actively captured the street scenes and people he saw. He was particularly fascinated by the Japanese women wearing traditional national costumes he encountered during his travels to the East.

Since clothing and appearance have semiotic significance in that society, Okas also sought out Japanese women with as many different expressions as possible as models, compiling a kind of reportage about the customs and people there. The main characters, which he lovingly conveyed, are mostly presented to the viewer with simple lines, symbolizing their love of simplicity and clarity. In this particular print, however, the main attention is drawn to the fascinatingly shaped headdress and next to it, special attention is paid to the mysteriously impressive wrinkled eyes.

Text: Harry Liivrand, Katre Palm