Inspired by Tawaraya Sōtatsu’s Screen with Scattered Fans (top left), visitors to our Sōtatsu exhibition—both in person and online—emulated his work on their own fans. Of the dozens of entries to our Fan Favorite contest, a team of Freer|Sackler judges narrowed down the candidates to five finalists. Vote for the one that you think should win a Sōtatsu gift basket by liking its image in our Facebook gallery. Voting is open until 11:59 pm on Monday, January 25.
What were the parameters? As emphasized by James Ulak, senior curator of Japanese art, we encouraged participants to choose a design that suited the fan’s curved shape. We also suggested that entrants adapt popular images or famous scenes for their fans, as Sōtatsu—who began his artistic career as a maker of finely decorated papers and folding fans—once did. Finally, we looked for entries that were creative, beautiful, or simply stood out from the pack. Which will you choose? Vote now!
