Drypoint etching, 200×150, February 2021
Series: Chinese divine beasts
The Hakutaku is a divine beast in China, like the Kirin and Chinese phoenix. It understands human language and is well-informed about universal knowledge. A picture of the Hakutaku is considered to be a charm. There are various kinds of information about its appearance. It’s said that it has two horns and a beard like a male goat, one eye on its forehead, and three eyes on each side of its body. (It has a total of nine eyes.) There is a story that its body is like a Chinese guardian lion. I had the idea to imitate a nicer-looking Japanese manga-style Hakutaku… But in the end I used a middle-aged man’s face.
