Futatsu makura

Also known as: 二つ枕, Dwie poduszki, Oreillers de laque

by Hinako Sugiura

Futatsu Makura takes us into the pleasure district of Yoshiwara, where courtesans and their clients meet in the ancient city of Edo. From the most famous teahouses to the most disreputable, in each room, a woman and a man talk to each other, before moving on to serious matters that no longer need words. The drawings are directly inspired by famous prints of Hokusai or Utamaro. The dialogues are of extreme sophistication while touching the essence of intimacy, making us feel all the nuances of relationships and expectations, hopes and fears, rivalries and pride. This works makes live the intimacy of hearts and minds, in this world of pleasures which is only the exacerbated reflection of a whole society. (Source: Editions Picquier, translated & adapted)