How does Short Fiction develop the theme of Art and Artistry?

Short Fiction by Tanizaki Jun’ichirō develops Art and Artistry across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.

The role of the artist is central, with Seikichi embodying the tortured creator who views human skin as canvas, and the ukiyo-e tradition informing his work, raising questions about the morality and power of artistic creation.

Seikichi is portrayed as an artist who retains the conscience of an ukiyo-e painter, and tattooing is presented as a form of artistic expression with its own styles and exhibitions.