Shironuri: Transforming a Single Face

Katherine Radcliffe, a professional artist, was inspired to collaborate with Helen Moss during a time when Helen was studying classical Japanese dance. Katherine, fascinated by how completely shironuri (traditional stage makeup) transforms a face, asked Helen to model for photographs so that Katherine could capture the dramatic changes as they were happening.

Not content to simply document standard, more familiar character changes, Katherine posed Helen in compositions varying from meditative, reverse image kaleidoscopic manipulations, multiple faces of the same pose in different sizes, with a focus on the flexibility of gender roles unique to classical Japanese dance.

All of the photographs in the exhibit were taken before the advent of digital photography, and so were hand cut to create mixed media collages.

Special Tsugaru Shamisen Performance

Tsugaru Shamisen master, Kouzan Oyama and his student, Doanh Nguyen will be performing a few pieces during the opening reception on Thursday, April 12.

Kouzan Oyama Ozama has master grade license from the Oyama style Tsugaru Shamisen school. He currently holds Tsugaru Shamisen classes in New York. Website