Murrayama Kaita's 1916 Self-Portrait is a vivid record of a burning short life. Being profoundly connected to Murrayama as a decadent painter and romantic poet, the painting carries within itself the elements of both technique and history. Murryama was fond of using the nickname "Red Demon" (oni) when referring to himself. Such image can be traced through his portrait: Murryama does not paint himself with softness of reality; instead, he depicts himself as a wild and untamed creature pursuing his own desires and needs. The Self-Portrait was made during the era of Taishō in Japan; thus, the painting represents the confrontation of a certain time and place. Fauvism movements spread throughout Japan, opposing to the traditional culture of the country. Murrayama was inspired by these style sheets; in order to attract attention in times of rebellion among youth. The Self-Portrait has become an artifact of the same turbulent period, capturing with exquisite immortality the destructive nature of his lifestyle, artistic rebellion, and imminent tragedy of his 22 years of existence. He used thick layers of oil paint in a range of dark colors, mainly brown, red-violet, and ochre, which were set off by pure white and yellow highlights. Instead of thinning the oils to allow smooth transitions, he used the medium in thick and bold brush strokes. He went ahead and applied white and black oil paint in thick layers to define the thick frames of his glasses.
The painting can be seen as a portrayal of a courageous self-analysis of the individual's inner world through visual medium. As opposed to using skin color for painting his/her face, the artist uses fragmented brushstrokes of colors like orange, violet, and dark blue in order to portray that identity is not something static but rather something perceived and fragmentary.
Round glasses and the intense gaze of the individual further add to the feeling of confrontation since there is no vanity involved in his/her gaze that fixes the observer's glance on him/herself.
The contrast created by the almost ghost-like white clothing of the individual on the black background adds to the impression of the figure standing somewhere between visibility and invisibility as if being at the moment of self-realization.
From my point of view, the painting touches upon the topic of the vulnerability of self-portrayal when one shows one's true self, including its flaws and contradictions.
