The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai was the source for the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art (NCWCA) members’ six-panel collaborative where each artist offered her unique rendering.

(1) Clockwise, from top left: Joan DiStefano, Siana Smith, Renate Woodbury, Rachel Tirosh, Susan Bercu, Laura Abrams.

(2) My interpretation is the endangered sea polluted by human trash and wars and where fishermen are extinct. Recycled materials: bubble wrap, plastic & metal objects, rubber gloves, face masks, sponges, tulle, bullet cases.

(3) Hokusai’s woodcut, produced after his 1830 painting, is one of "36 Views of Mount Fuji". The vulnerability of Japan is represented by enormous claw-like waves that threaten to engulf the three fishing boats and the sacred Fuji. Japan emerged after 200 years of self-isolation when Hokusai was thrust into the world's limelight, introducing the new Prussian blue pigment in this series. His daughter, Katsushika Oi, contributed to his art until his death at age 91. She produced her own innovative art in the highly productive workshop.