Year: 2011
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 130 x 130 cm (51 1/8 x 51 1/8 in.)
Acquired from Phillips, 2022
The square canvas is filled with flowers in vivid red and pink colors, with a girl dressed in a green one-piece dress standing barefoot in the center. The striking contrast of red and green leads the viewer's gaze to the facial expression of the little grumpy girl with her eyes wide open. The background is primarily composed of cold colors, overlaying with bright and relaxed brushstrokes (perhaps with fingertips). After overlooking the whole work from above, one may notice a part that resembles a red flower crown. However, upon closer inspection, it reveals a complete change from the cheerful landscape that awful skulls are lurking in the myriad of the flower field. The skulls, depicted in blue lines and hidden in the flower shadows, seem to be both threatening and welcoming the girl. As symbolized by the girl's incomprehensible facial expression, Rokkaku’s paintings are glamorous yet sometimes show a glance of poison and shadows. To conclude, the girl can be described as both a Femme fatale and an Enfant terrible. The purer and more innocent things are, the more dreadful they can be.
