Marina Shirakawa | Yamauba | Onna Yokai | Kintarō | Mixed Media color painting | 1986

Original Colour Illustration by Marina Shirakawa (1940–2000)

Size : 26 x 36,5 cm
Mixed Media 
Condition: Good to Very Good

Yamauba, also known as Yamamba, is one of the most frightening female figures in Japanese folklore. Traditionally described as an old woman or mountain witch, she inhabits remote forests and mountains, far from human settlements. Although she sometimes appears as a harmless elderly woman, her true nature can be far more sinister. Many legends describe her luring unsuspecting travellers into her dwelling, where she reveals herself as a monstrous creature capable of killing and devouring her victims.

The character of Yamauba varies considerably between regional traditions. In some stories she is a terrifying cannibal, while in others she possesses supernatural wisdom or even helps lost travellers. She is also associated with the legendary warrior Kintarō, whom certain traditions describe as her son. This combination of maternal qualities and monstrous behaviour makes Yamauba a particularly fascinating figure in Japanese folklore.

In this disturbing original illustration, Marina Shirakawa offers a brutal interpretation of the mountain witch. Rather than depicting the familiar elderly woman, he presents a wild-haired, almost youthful female creature crouching over a mutilated human body. Blood covers her skin as she appears to tear apart her victim beneath a pale moon, surrounded by the bare trees and grasses of an isolated landscape.

The contrast between the woman's almost human beauty and the extreme violence of the scene reflects Shirakawa's distinctive approach to horror, transforming traditional yōkai imagery into something far more unsettling.

Please read Marina's bio for more information