When I saw this work, I was struck by the deliberate balance of composition used in this folding screen. It depicts real structures in a staged rather than realistic manner. I was particularly surprised by the overwhelming presence of Osaka Castle. The beautiful balance of the leaping roofs and stone walls is full of great power to produce the authority of the time.

Excavations have confirmed that the structure and ground of the stone walls of Osaka Castle differed between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa periods. In particular, it is thought that the composition and stacking of the stone walls depicted in the Toyotomi Period Osaka Screen shows an intention to symbolise the technology of the time, the castle’s defensive capabilities and its authority. In this research, I would like to reconsider the masonry by tracing and clarify the composition, balance and design intent of the stone walls in Osaka Castle during the Toyotomi and Tokugawa periods, and consider the technical and social context of each period to sublimate them into a work.

1. comparative analysis of the stone wall structures of the Toyotomi and Tokugawa periods: – to analyse the components of the ground and stone walls through image research based on excavation reports, and to consider the characteristics and differences of each period.
2. technical background of stone wall construction: – to compare differences in the origin, selection, stacking techniques and strength calculations of stone materials, and to investigate the composition and balance of stone walls.
 - To analyse the development of castle-building techniques and design intentions in different periods.
3. Significance of stone walls in cultural and political contexts: – To interpret the design intent and symbolism of stone walls in relation to urban policy and power structures in the Toyotomi and Tokugawa periods.

Sayoko Suwabe 諏訪部 佐代子
sayokosuwabes.com

Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1995. Graduated from the Department of Oil Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2019, and completed the Master’s Program in Global Art Practice at the same university in 2023. Received the “Salon de Printemps Award” at the 2017 Graduation Exhibition and the “GAP Award” at the 2022 Master’s Graduation Exhibition. Primarily creates installation works, but also works across a wide range of media including performance and sculpture. As of 2025, enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Printmaking, Painting Department, Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts, while also actively participating as a member of the artist collectives [Archaeological Practice], [Primipedites], and [NULLNULL STUDIO].