Description

三島剛 Mishima Gō (1924-1988) Japanese art Photolithography From "Mishima Gō gashū Wakamono" 三島剛画集 若者 (Mishima Go Book of Pictures of Young Men)  - 1972 NW755

三島剛 Mishima Gō (1924-1988)
A charismatic figure who led the gay erotic art of the Showa period, he continued to portray a unique image of the Japanese male child at the dawn of Japanese gay culture. His works express the loneliness and melancholy of individuals and minorities. The Cali Dewitt x Go Mishima "POETRY READING" art exhibition was held in Tokyo from January to February 2022. His work is still attracting attention.

This powerful photolithograph is one of 24 works from the rare 1972 portfolio “Wakamono” (Young Men) by Go Mishima (三島剛), a pioneering figure in postwar Japanese gay art. Published by Daini Shobō with a poetic introduction by Takahashi Mutsuo, the series explores male beauty, erotic tension, and psychological solitude. The image depicts a muscular young man, seated with legs apart atop two stacked wooden fish crates, boldly marked with the words “魚辰” and “まぐろ” (Uotasu and Maguro). His hands are bound behind his back, and his nearly nude body is adorned with vibrant traditional Japanese tattoos, including floral and mythological motifs across his chest, arms, and shoulders. The composition evokes themes of ritualized restraint, erotic vulnerability, and urban marginality, blending homoerotic aesthetics with postwar Japanese street iconography. Mishima’s use of photolithography heightens the realism and emotional tension, making this work a striking example of queer resistance and symbolic masculinity. This piece is part of a limited edition and is highly sought after by collectors of Japanese postwar art, homoerotic illustration, and cultural history.

Dimensions: 11.6" x 16.6" / 29.7cm x 42.2cm

Material: Paper
Technique: Photolithography

Weight: 30g

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