Cover art, entitled “Onnagata,” by Hannah Carroll, East Asian Studies major at Wittenberg University.

Abstract

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese theater art in which men play both male and female roles. The female role is termed onnagata, hence the title of the piece, and the act of putting on the makeup could be a way of transitioning into the role itself.

The pattern you see in the background is seigaiha, a motif of repeating waves used in Japanese art and clothing patterns to represent eternal prosperity or power. It is said to have originated from ancient Chinese maps depicting oceans.