THE TRADITION OF THE BOUND BODY
In artistic terms, the possibilities of kinbaku, or shibari, as the art of tying and immobilizing bodies is also known, offer fascinating imagery and, depending on the artist’s intentions, almost limitless expressive potential. Since Itō Seiu and with the rise of magazines such as Kitan Club, kinbaku has taken on different forms according to the artist who practices it or represents it through drawing, painting, or photography. Historically, this transition into the field of visual arts owes much to Itō Seiu, regarded as the precursor of modern kinbaku, who was the first to displace rope binding from its original context, hojojutsu (a martial technique for restraining prisoners), toward a purely aesthetic and documentary exploration. With the subsequent rise of emblematic publications such as Kitan Club in the mid-twentieth century, kinbaku became consolidated as a field of formal experimentation.
Since then, the technique has assumed distinct forms depending on the artistic language employed. In photography, the focus often falls on the contrast between the rough texture of natural fibers (such as hemp or jute) and the softness of the skin, as well as on the use of light and shadow to emphasize tridimensionality. In drawing and painting, kinbaku allows for abstractions and compositions that challenge the laws of physics and anatomy, transforming the bound body into an architectural element or a visual metaphor for suspension and balance. In this way, each creator imprints their own rhythmic signature, treating the web of ropes sometimes as a delicate ornament, sometimes as a structure of force that redefines the space occupied by the body.
Fig.1 "Kappa Notebook" (2025) by Manuela Schiano
Fig.2 Yanari (house squeaker)
Fig.2a
Fig.3 Broken
Fig.4 Sakabashira
Fig.5 Yuki-onna II (‘snow woman’)
MANUELA SCHIANO
Born in Naples in 1984 and currently based in Rome, Manuela Schiano is a visual artist, illustrator, and comic artist whose career is marked by multidisciplinarity. Her artistic training began at the Liceo Artistico in Naples, followed by a brief period at the Academy of Fine Arts, which she left in order to dedicate herself fully to theater. For thirteen years, Manuela Schiano worked as a director, actress, set designer, and creator of props and guarattelle (traditional Neapolitan puppets), an experience that endowed her contemporary visual work with a strong sense of dramatic composition and narrative structure.
Upon returning to the graphic arts, Manuela Schiano consolidated a style focused on precision in ink work and the exploration of silkscreen techniques, prioritizing line harmony and anatomical detail. Her work is widely recognized for merging the formal aesthetics of kinbaku with the rich imagery of Japanese folklore, populated by mythological creatures such as yōkai, hannyas, and kappas. In her compositions, rope binding is treated as a plastic language that explores the tension between material and body, displacing the theme into a grotesque and oneiric territory.
The relevance of her production on the international scene is evidenced by collaborations with specialized publications such as the Kinbaku Society of Berlin and Yūgen Studio Magazine. More recently, Manuela Schiano made her debut with the publisher Hollow Press through the release of Kappa Notebook, a visual narrative that explores the encounter between the human form and the fantastic. As recognition of her contribution to contemporary illustration and comics, the artist has been confirmed as a featured guest at the prestigious Lucca Comics & Games 2025 festival. Currently, in addition to her authorial projects, Schiano also works in storyboard creation, music video direction, and illustration for RPG games.
Fig.6 Ungaikyō (“mirror beyond the clouds”)
Fig.6a
Fig.7 Seto-Taishō (‘General Seto’)
Fig.8 The futakuchi-onna (‘the woman with two mouths’)
In the Premium version of this article you can discover the decisive influence of the kinbaku master Itō Seiu on Schiano, the reinvention of kinbaku, the historical continuity of kinbaku, many more artworks, and MUCH more...!!
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Click HERE for the sublime Japanese bondage art of Kita Reiko
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