FAMOUS WOMEN THROUGH THE AGES

KOKIN MEIFU DEN

This series of portraits of famous women through Japanese history, both actually historical persons as well as fictional, will most likely be completed during my lifetime. Through intense and thorough research, I have so far identified 167 female persons of interest, and the number just keeps on growing. Despite being regarded as a very male oriented society, the sheer number of women, both historical as well as from folk lore and myth, that inhabit the collective Japanese memory through the ages far outweighs any western society or culture.

As this series continues to grow, you will meet historical warriors, poets, authors and artists, as well as ghosts, demons, goddesses and theatrical characters. It is my hope, with your kind support, that this project can continue and become an exhibition as well as a book.

For me, the strength and resilience of women has always been a source of inspiration, and by immortalizing these women as paintings, as culturally and historically correct as possible, I hope to shine a light on what I consider to be a highly important piece of the puzzle called the human heart.

/Senju