Abstract
This paper examines the depiction of nudity in The Hiroshima Panels (Genbaku no Zu), which was subject to early criticism, and reinterprets it as a means of engaging with alterity, rather than as a gesture of sensuality or eroticism. By analyzing Toshi Maruki’s earlier works and other artistic endeavors, this study seeks to clarify her influence in the collaborative production of The Hiroshima Panels. Specifically, it focuses on Maruki’s introspective gaze toward her own body—particularly her awareness of sexuality and physical vulnerability—and explores how these themes are expressed corporeally, ultimately probing the boundary between self and other. The paper also investigates how the representation of the “unmourned other” in the latter sections of The Hiroshima Panels is positioned within the broader narrative. Ultimately, it considers how Maruki’s portrayal of death through bodily expression evolves into a communal act of mourning mediated through the gaze and gesture of a female artist.
