Christian with Keloidal Scars
Shomei Tomatsu
Japanese, 1930–2012
1961
A gelatin silver print portrait in which Shomei Tomatsu foregrounds a woman's keloidal scars to confront the lingering, personal aftermath of wartime trauma and social change.
What strikes you is the severe close-up and high-contrast detail — the furrowed brow, puckered texture of the scars, and a wary, searching gaze set against a softly blurred urban background — making the face both intimate and unyielding.
Taken in the early 1960s, this work is part of Tomatsu's influential postwar practice that made visible the physical and societal consequences of conflict and helped push documentary portraiture toward a more raw, personal engagement with history.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
13 3/8 × 17 5/8" (34 × 44.8 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the artist
Accession
401.1977
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
