光希まさとの創造の世界へようこそ！
つれづれなるままに、硯にむかひて、心に移りゆくよしなし事を、そこはかとなく書きつくれば、あやしうこそものぐるほしけれ。
このたび、古より伝わる浮世絵の姿を、現代の技にて甦らせんと試みたり。まずはアール・ヌーヴォーの風情を帯びしステンドグラス調の浮世絵より始め、次に江戸の世に名を馳せし北川歌麿の美人画の姿に立ち返り、さらには現代の目にて捉えたる超写実の花魁の姿を描き出すに至りぬ。
いずれの道も深く、その奥義を極めんとすれば、幾多の試行錯誤を重ねざるを得ず。されど、そのたびにミッドジャーニーという筆の可能性を知ることとなり、表現の幅を広げるはかり知れぬ喜びを得たり。
今まさに、このミッドジャーニーという不思議なる筆は、七αと呼ばれる新たなる姿へと進化を遂げたという。その詳細は別の機会に譲るとして、今は目の前なる「花魁」の姿に心奪われよ。
この姿絵は、ただに日本人の着物姿を描きし浅き試みにあらず。そこには浮世絵の歴史という深き流れを汲み、歌麿の美人画に込められし精神を現代に継承せんとする志が宿りおり。白粉の肌の質感、紅の色合い、黒髪の艶やかさ、そして金の簪（かんざし）の煌めきに至るまで、すべてが古と今を繋ぐ架け橋となりぬ。
まことに、技術の進化とともに表現の可能性は広がれど、そこに込むべき魂は時を超えて変わらぬものなり。古の浮世絵師たちの想いを現代の技にて表現することこそ、新たなる「浮世絵の道」と言うべきか。
つれづれなるままに 光希まさと
Essays in Idleness – Modern Chapter “The Evolution of Ukiyo-e”
As I sit here with my inkstone, letting my brush flow freely with whatever thoughts pass through my mind, how curious it all seems.
Recently, I attempted to revive the traditional form of ukiyo-e through modern techniques. I began with stained glass-style ukiyo-e with Art Nouveau influences, then returned to the beauty of Kitagawa Utamaro’s bijin-ga from the Edo period, and finally arrived at creating hyper-realistic oiran courtesans as seen through contemporary eyes.
Each path is profound, and mastering any one of them requires countless trials and errors. Yet, with each attempt, I discovered new possibilities of the brush called Midjourney, experiencing the immeasurable joy of expanding my range of expression.
Even now, this mysterious brush known as Midjourney has evolved into a new form called V7α. While leaving the details for another occasion, let us now be captivated by the “oiran” before our eyes.
This portrait is not merely a shallow attempt at depicting a Japanese person in kimono. It draws from the deep currents of ukiyo-e history, embodying the spirit infused in Utamaro’s bijin-ga and carrying it forward into the present day. From the texture of the white powder on the skin, the shade of red on the lips, the luster of black hair, to the sparkle of golden hairpins—all serve as bridges connecting the past to the present.
Indeed, while the possibilities of expression expand with technological advancement, the soul to be imbued within remains unchanged across time. Perhaps expressing the spirit of ancient ukiyo-e artists through modern techniques is what should be called the new “Way of Ukiyo-e.”
