Assassin Turned Protector

Artist: Jed Henry
Title: Assassin Turned Protector
Print: open edition giclée on handmade Japanese paper, signed by the artist
Print Size: 31.5 x 43 cm (approx.)
Framed Size: 47 x 60 cm (approx.)

Standard Frame: black mini retro frame with white mat

Note from the artist:

This story takes place at a turning point in Japanese history, when the old modes of the Edo Period were being tossed aside, and a new Meiji Government was modernizing Japanese society forever.

It was at this exact time that my favorite Ukiyo-e artists lived and worked. One such artist was Yoshitoshi, whose career span both the Edo and Meiji Periods. Yoshitoshi's design sense was influenced by both ancient and modern tastes. His work forms a perfect bridge from the traditional Ukiyo-e designs of the mid 1800s, and the more realistic approach of modern Western artists.

I created this bold, colorful design to look like one of Yoshitoshi's many warrior prints. The bright hues are reminiscent of traditional Ukiyo-e, while the slightly more accurate anatomy reflects the tastes of encroaching Western culture.

The blue caption reads 天翔龍閃, pronounced Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki, which translates to “Flash of the Heavenly Soaring Dragon”. This is one of the ultimate ogi moves.

The orange caption reads 火産霊神, pronounced Kaguzuchi, which is another secret sword attack. Kaguzuchi is also a Shinto kami of fire.