Fang of the Abyss – Amulet embodies Kotaro Yamada’s imaginative interpretation of the ancient Japanese concept of “mamori” (protective amulet) through a fantastical deep-sea creature.
Drawn on a tanzaku shikishi—a long, narrow board traditionally used for haiku and calligraphy—the work combines delicate pointillism with bold ink contrasts. The fish’s body emerges from countless fountain pen dots, while black felt-pen strokes carve its skeletal rhythm across the gold-bordered surface. Its eye, rendered in colored ballpoint pen, radiates subtle luminescence, becoming the focal point of the amulet’s protective power.
Flanking the creature, the sumi-ink characters 「魔」(ma, evil) and 「除」(jo, to ward off) anchor the work’s symbolic meaning: the eternal struggle between inner darkness and purification. Yamada’s imagined fish is both serene and fierce—a modern talisman that connects traditional Japanese symbolism with contemporary expression.
Description
Fang of the Abyss – Amulet embodies Kotaro Yamada’s imaginative interpretation of the ancient Japanese concept of “mamori” (protective amulet) through a fantastical deep-sea creature.
Drawn on a tanzaku shikishi—a long, narrow board traditionally used for haiku and calligraphy—the work combines delicate pointillism with bold ink contrasts. The fish’s body emerges from countless fountain pen dots, while black felt-pen strokes carve its skeletal rhythm across the gold-bordered surface. Its eye, rendered in colored ballpoint pen, radiates subtle luminescence, becoming the focal point of the amulet’s protective power.
Flanking the creature, the sumi-ink characters 「魔」(ma, evil) and 「除」(jo, to ward off) anchor the work’s symbolic meaning: the eternal struggle between inner darkness and purification. Yamada’s imagined fish is both serene and fierce—a modern talisman that connects traditional Japanese symbolism with contemporary expression.
Fang of the Abyss Amulet – by Kotaro Yamada
Kotaro Yamada – 「深淵の牙」(Fang of the Abyss – Amulet)
Medium: Fountain pen, felt-tip pen, colored ballpoint pen, and sumi ink on tanzaku shikishi board
Dimensions: 36.5 × 7.5 cm (approx. 14.4 × 3.0 in)
Signed with seal: Yes
