Under the Surface

When I came across this image when editing work from my recent trip to Japan, I first thought of porcelain. Then, I remembered their humanness when seeing these young women in the flesh, in real life. These two girls are Maikos, the name for apprentices studying to become Geishas, or “art women.” They study intensely, learning Japanese calligraphy, music, dance, traditional fashion and adornment, their occupation’s culture and history, and the intricacies of hospitality and graciousness.

I remember watching them walk. They walked with tiny strides; one heel almost touching the toes of the foot behind with each step. And yet, they moved swiftly and appeared to be floating. I was told that often, the men in a maiko or geisha’s company would draw a sense of unparalleled confidence from her refined, meticulous appearance and mannerisms, all to create a sense of perfection.

Of course, it is all illusion, and under that shiny porcelain-like surface and the exquisite folds and features of their kimonos and hairdressing is humanness and vulnerability. There were whispers of individuality in one Maiko gazing shyly out of the corners of her eyes and the other boldly looking at my camera from the center of her eyes. The choice to smile ever so slightly or not, the colors of the kimonos suggesting supreme royalty or classic elegance…all these things shattered that doll-like impression. Left for me to admire and honor was the enormous dignity with which they reflected centuries of women practicing in an art form revered in their homeland.