Frozen Corridor (Bering Strait)

After studying metal carving, Fukazawa Yukio took up printmaking, learning its techniques on his own. A trip to Mexico in 1963 marked a turning point, with ancient civilizations delivering inspiration and the overflowing vibrancy of the country leading him to shift from monochromatic to color printmaking. This work features three phoenixes, symbolizing the lush Eurasian continent, the starlit American continent, and the Bering Strait, once a land bridge that connected them. The vivid blue in the center represents an intense gaze taking in the sweeping history of Asian people who traversed the frozen north, and also reflects the artist’s perspective. This piece is part of Fukazawa’s extensive series Epic of the Mongoloids in the New World. (M.N.)