"Tales of Genji": Bridging Brushstroke and Beauty – An Editorial by Eric Hason
In Eric Hason’s latest editorial for Photobook Magazine, titled Tales of Genji, visual storytelling transcends traditional boundaries of beauty photography. This striking series is a meditation on the harmony between calligraphy, visual art, and the human form—anchored by the transcendent presence of model and artist Masumi Yamada. Through collaboration with makeup artist ShanJu Wu and Yamada’s own calligraphic artistry, this shoot weaves an arresting visual tapestry that pays homage to one of Japan’s most important literary works while offering a distinctly modern take on identity and expression.
Set against a dramatic hand-painted canvas created by Yamada herself, the editorial fuses contemporary beauty photography with classical Japanese aesthetics. The result is a body of work that is both contemplative and avant-garde, rooted in heritage yet wholly innovative.
The Inspiration: A Timeless Literary Masterpiece
The title Tales of Genji is a deliberate nod to The Tale of Genji, widely regarded as the world’s first novel. Written in the early 11th century by noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu, this sprawling work of Japanese literature chronicles the romantic and political intrigues of Prince Genji and the Heian court.
Hason’s editorial does not seek to recreate the narrative of the novel, but instead draws upon its spirit—its reverence for transience, introspection, and aesthetic beauty. Much like the chapters of the novel, each image in the editorial is a poetic fragment—a scene rich with atmosphere, detail, and emotion.
"The novel The Tale of Genji is a masterclass in subtlety and symbolism," Hason says. "This editorial borrows from that sense of layered narrative and personal expression. Through Masumi’s calligraphy and presence, we’re channeling both the ephemeral and the eternal."
Masumi Yamada: Model, Artist, Storyteller
Central to the shoot is the multi-talented Masumi Yamada, a model with Q Management whose grace and stillness are matched only by the power of her creative output. Born in Japan and now based in New York, Yamada bridges cultures and disciplines with a sensitivity that feels intuitive and deeply personal. Her work as a calligrapher is steeped in tradition but unafraid of contemporary experimentation.
Yamada did not simply model for the shoot—she was its soul. She hand-painted the expansive canvas that served as the shoot’s background: an arresting field of black ink on raw fabric, the strokes evoking waves, wind, and the whisper of ancient poetry. This backdrop created a dynamic yet meditative environment that allowed the images to shift between minimalism and intensity.
The interplay between Masumi’s presence and her own artwork generated an atmosphere of authenticity and ritual. “To pose in front of something I created was vulnerable and powerful,” Yamada reflects. “It felt like inhabiting a space I had built from memory and movement.”
The Canvas as Character
The large-scale calligraphic canvas was not merely a background—it was an active participant in the shoot. Painted in Yamada’s studio, the piece was guided by breath, rhythm, and deliberate imperfection. Every brushstroke told a story. Its abstract motifs suggest the language of dreams: looping gestures and cascading lines that feel at once ancient and intuitive.
Shot with controlled strobes, the canvas absorbed and refracted the softness of skin, the gloss of makeup, and the glint of painted ink. Hason’s lighting emphasized dimensionality, allowing the canvas to subtly shift roles—sometimes backdrop, sometimes shroud, sometimes mirror.
This harmony between model and environment is a hallmark of Hason’s approach to photography: to not impose, but to observe and enhance the visual conversation between form, tone, and texture.
Calligraphy as Beauty
One of the editorial’s most innovative elements is the use of calligraphy as a direct part of the makeup. Working closely with Yamada, makeup artist ShanJu Wu created pared-down beauty looks that served as a base for expressive inking. Complexions were luminous, flawless, and neutral-toned—offering a pristine surface upon which Yamada could paint.
Each look was developed in two stages: first, a minimalist, refined beauty application; second, the addition of calligraphy, applied directly onto the face, neck, and décolletage with sumi ink and brush. The characters, while abstract to many Western viewers, were chosen and rendered with care, drawing from classical poetry and personal symbolism.
For Wu, it was an exercise in restraint and intention. “It was about creating space,” she explains. “Space for Masumi’s work to live on the skin. I wanted the makeup to support—not compete—with the art.”
The result is a breathtaking synthesis of disciplines. The body becomes canvas, the face becomes scroll. Beauty and language become one.
Pacing, Process, and Philosophy
The shoot took place over a single day in late spring, but it had been months in planning. Hason, Yamada, and Wu worked in close collaboration, discussing mood references, textures, brushstroke behavior, and emotional palette. Unlike many editorial shoots, where timing can be rushed, this project prioritized presence and process.
“There was a meditative quality to the day,” Hason recalls. “The pace was slow and deliberate. Every movement—from a turn of the head to the placement of the brush—had weight.”
This approach allowed for experimentation and intuition. Hason, known for his ability to capture quiet intensity, was able to document not only the final result but the in-between moments—the breath before the ink, the tension before the gaze.
Post-production was minimal, preserving the rawness of the work. Textures of ink, canvas, and skin were left untouched, allowing the natural interactions to speak for themselves.
Visual Language and Cultural Lineage
Though Tales of Genji is a work of Japanese origin, the editorial avoids exoticism. Instead, it honors the cultural lineage from which its inspiration springs. Yamada’s calligraphy is rooted in years of disciplined training and personal evolution. Hason’s photographic eye brings a reverence for form and silence. Wu’s makeup artistry reflects sensitivity to skin as both surface and story.
Together, these elements form a new visual language: not one of costume or cliché, but of quiet rebellion and shared respect.
Each frame challenges the viewer to slow down, to read the lines not only of ink but of expression. The editorial asks: What does it mean to write on skin? What does it mean to inhabit a story written by your own hand?
On the Edge of Tradition and Modernity
What makes Tales of Genji resonate is its refusal to sit comfortably in a single genre. It is beauty photography, but also fine art. It is fashion, but also philosophy. The editorial could be seen in a glossy magazine, or hung in a gallery space.
Hason’s images play with contrast—light and dark, old and new, masculine and feminine. Yamada, dressed in minimalist styling, embodies these tensions. She is muse and maker, subject and scribe.
In an era where editorial work can sometimes feel disposable, this series demands pause. It lingers. It asks to be revisited.
A Shared Vision: Collaboration as Core
At the heart of Tales of Genji is collaboration. Not just in the technical sense of artist and photographer working together, but in the deeper sense of mutual respect and shared voice.
“This shoot wasn’t about showcasing any one individual,” Hason notes. “It was about what could emerge when we listened—to each other, to the materials, to the story beneath the surface.”
The final series is a portrait not just of a model or an idea, but of process itself. It invites the viewer into a world shaped by touch, gesture, and grace.
Concluding Thoughts: The Beauty of the Written Form
In Tales of Genji, the written form becomes physical. Calligraphy leaves the page and becomes part of the body. The act of writing becomes part of the act of being seen.
Through Yamada’s ink, Wu’s brush, and Hason’s lens, a centuries-old literary tradition is translated into a visual language for now. This is not nostalgia—it is transformation.
The editorial stands as a testament to what is possible when disciplines overlap and boundaries blur. In the space between stroke and stare, canvas and camera, Tales of Genji offers something rare: a moment of true visual poetry.
About Eric Hason
Eric Hason is a New York-based fashion and beauty photographer whose work blends technical excellence with artistic intuition. His images have appeared in major publications and brand campaigns alike, celebrated for their rich tonal quality and emotional depth. He specializes in collaborative editorial work that highlights individuality and story.
Credits
Photography: Eric Hason
Model / Artist: Masumi Yamada
Makeup: ShanJu Wu
Publication: Photobook Magazine
Title: Tales of Genji