Men In Kimonos
The “Men in Kimonos” series is part of Wendy Maruyama’s ongoing body of work, “Turning Japanese.” The work incorporates vintage photographs of Kabuki actors from the 1940s, many portraying female characters in the traditional onnagata role. In Kabuki theater, women were historically prohibited from performing, leading male actors to specialize in highly stylized female roles that blurred distinctions between gender, performance, and illusion.
Maruyama was drawn to both the theatricality and beauty of these figures. The archival images are scanned and digitally collaged with fish, octopi, and found objects, then incorporated into handcrafted wooden frames and cabinet forms. The resulting works merge traditional Japanese imagery with surreal and contemporary elements, creating layered compositions that move between humor, artifice, cultural memory, and transformation. Some of the prints are large in scale, measuring up to 45 inches wide.
