The Hannya Mask (Ebook)

"The Hannya Mask" is a 184-page photobook focusing solely on the visual aesthetics of the Hannya mask, used in Japanese Noh theatre, and is aimed at the artist seeking inspiration or using the photos as references for their own art.

The Hannya mask is a traditional Japanese theatre mask representing a jealous female demon. Its origins date back to the Noh and Kabuki theatre traditions of the 14th century, where it was used to symbolize intense negative emotions such as jealousy or of vengeance. The mask has evolved over time, with different variations and interpretations in various forms of Japanese art and culture. Today, it is still widely recognized and used in various artistic forms, including theatre, dance, and tattoos, as a symbol of transformation and the complexities of human emotions.

Hannya masks are a common feature in Japanese Noh performances, symbolizing female demons or vengeful spirits like Lady Rokujō from "The Tale of Genji". The masks are used to express a variety of emotions and convey the essence of the character being depicted in the play.

The author and photographer of this book has put a high emphasis on the different light settings that is also used in the Noh performances to create the illusion of different moods that the actor displays in different scenes of the acts, whether it be angry, sad, furious, vengeful or malicious.

The different colours used for the masks are not all strictly those painted classically, rather more playful and colourful variants that are used more freely in art such as tattooing, as this book aims foremost at being a reference inspiration for tattoo artists and illustrators, etc.

https://www.thehannyamask.com/

Renowned Noh mask maker Hiromitsu's Review of "The Hannya Mask":

https://www.thehannyamask.com/#hiromitsureview