Attracted to the term “pure painting” as a young man, Sugiyama made every effort to eliminate the emotional and literary qualities that were associated with Nihon-ga and set out to create Japanese-style painting that consisted only of color and shape. In some cases, by determining the position of a geometrical shape in the picture, he explored a motif that corresponded to the form. The Japanese title of this work, pronounced “kyu,” refers to the heavens that broadly cover the earth. A beam of light shines through from some unknown place onto the sphinx, sitting with an air of composure. Along with the texture of the thickly-applied casein (a pigment derived from milk protein), mixed with sand, on the canvas ground, the solid structure of the work provides a strong support for Sugiyama’s expression.