Client: The New Yorker
AD: Aviva Michaelov

Sharon Stern devoted herself to Butoh. Did her mentor lead her down a dangerous path?

A feature illustration for a piece on the unraveling of the dancer, Sharon Stern, as she devoted herself to Butoh, a form of Japanese dance theatre that explores one’s hidden darkness. Ultimately, she lost her sense of self, fell into despair, and committed suicide. Her family has since accused her instructor, Katsura Kan, of being a cult-leader responsible for her death.