Ghost Paintings of Ubume
Considering a recurring motif in traditional Japanese art: ‘Ubume’ is a ‘strangeness’ with the dual nature of an apparition and a ghost.
“Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible” — Marion C Garretty
Ghost Painting is an ancient and enduring genre of art closely linked with literature, regional folklore, and religious beliefs. It’s so interwoven with the cultural fabric of Japan that it’s impossible to discuss with brevity so, as a way in, we shall focus on the beauty, horror, and poignancy of Ubume paintings which, across the centuries has developed into a subgenre of its own that still has a place in today’s art and media… They are useful in building an understanding of the enduring influence and social usefulness of such images.
What gift could be purer than a mother’s love for her child? In an ideal scenario, it is a love passed on from generation to generation, for such a mother used to be a child and once received that love from their mother. When they change from girls to women, they take off the swaddle wrapped around them by their parents and choose their own clothes to wear, but hopefully that love lingers on.
