Art Concept
Although I haven't lived in a particularly nature-rich area since childhood, I eventually began creating works with nature as a motif. What I remember are the rustling sounds of leaves by the roadside, the scent of greenery, the pleasant coolness of the wind on my skin, the color of the sky before a heavy rain, the shimmering light on the surface of a nearby river, and the density of the shadows of summer grass reflected on concrete—all just ordinary, everyday encounters with nature. My life was far from the picturesque landscapes seen on postcards, but these subtle impressions became ingrained in me, forming the foundation of my art.
Sometimes, when I casually gaze at the grass or plants around me, I feel like something is hidden within them. Perhaps a Japanese reverence for nature is rooted in me, but I feel that an invisible force, a kind of spirit, quietly breathes within the earth, wind, and water. I named this concept "Garden of Spirits," representing a place where something exists, constantly changing its form through birth, growth, death, and rebirth. I don't believe in reincarnation, but if humans and other living things have souls, they might be living in nature, changing their forms.
What attracts me is this dynamic sense of existence that I intuitively feel in nature, and I believe that creating art is a way to explore and understand what that is. I know that the trees, flowers, or specific landscapes themselves aren't the essence of what I'm seeking, but I also don't know how to find it. So, I simply let my brush move freely, almost blindly. Because of this, my finished works often deviate greatly from my initial vision.
Despite the many changes in direction, I always return to nature as a motif because it is the most real and tangible existence for me. As a modern person, I can't say I live in complete harmony with nature, but when I experience the death of someone close to me, I clearly realize that humans share the same fate as plants and animals. I have come to simply believe that the daily cycle of life is essentially the same for all living creatures. And when I feel a connection to myself within that process of life and death, my interest in this subject never ceases.
About the Creative Process
I often take photographs when I go out into nature. My subjects mainly include sunlight filtering through trees, plants bathed in sunlight, gravel paths, and water surfaces. Currently, there is a large forest very close to my home, and I often take photos there. The photographs that form the basis of my forest-themed series were also taken there. When creating my artwork, I select images from my existing photo archive that best suit my artistic vision. Initially, I work in grayscale to focus on the balance of light and shadow. When adding color, I strive to preserve the intuitive emotions and feelings I experienced when taking and selecting the original photographs.
Solo Exhibitions
June 2012 Spectrum Gallery (Osaka) Two-person exhibition
October 2011 Dorado Gallery (Tokyo)
May 2011 Spectrum Gallery (Osaka)
February 2010 Gallery at the Hyatt II (Osaka)
February 2009 Gallery at the Hyatt II (Osaka)
May 2007 Art Forum Mie (Mie Prefectural Culture Center)
July 1999 Gallery Shirakawa (Kyoto)
September 1998 Housing Center/Nichinen (Osaka)
July 1997 Gallery DEN (Osaka)
May 1997 Gallery Shirakawa (Kyoto)
February 1995 West Harbor Gallery (Oyster Bay, NY, USA)
Group Exhibitions / Open Call Exhibitions
November 2014 Winter Luxus Exhibition (Hankyu Department Store Men's Building, Osaka)
April 2014 Group Show (WAH Center, NYC, USA)
September 2013 Machiya Art Festival HANART (Nara)
May 2012 Spring Fling Exhibition (WAH Center, NYC, USA) (Juror: Yuko Nii)
May 2011 Living with Art Exhibition (Spectrum Gallery, Osaka)
May 2011 Art Salad Exhibition (Soho Art Gallery, Osaka)
October 2010 Creative Expressionists Exhibition (Art Complex Center, Tokyo)
August 2010 “Water” (Galleri Geitodden, Førde, Norway)
June 2009 2nd Japan-UK Artists Exchange Group Exhibition (Lennox Gallery, London, UK)
October 2008 Collective Contemporary Art Exhibition by Japanese Artists (Opera Gallery, Budapest, Hungary)
July 2008 Busan International Environmental Art Festival (Ulsukdo Art Center, Busan, South Korea)
May 2007 Mie Art Forum Exhibition (Mie Prefectural Cultural Center, Mie)
December 2006 58th Mie Prefectural Art Exhibition (Mie Prefectural Cultural Center, Mie)
August 2005 ASKA Exhibition (Yokkaichi City Cultural Hall, Mie)
October 2004 Chubu Spring Sun Exhibition (Nagoya City Museum, Aichi)
November 2001 Group Exhibition (Gallery JUNO, NYC, USA)
November 2000 Group Exhibition (AD&A Gallery, Osaka)
May 2000 Group Exhibition (Gallery JUNO, NYC, USA)
October 1999 CWAI Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition (Tokyo American Center/Tokyo)
September 1998 Aomori Printmaking Grand Prix Exhibition (Aomori)
June 1998 "Women's Work" Women Artists Exhibition (UHL Gallery/Colorado, USA)
May 1998 4th Sapporo International Contemporary Printmaking Biennale (Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art)
October 1997 CWAI Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition (Tokyo American Center/Tokyo)
December 1996 Hamamatsu City Museum of Art Printmaking Grand Prix Exhibition (Hamamatsu City Museum of Art/Shizuoka)
October 1996 CWAI Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition (Tokyo American Center/Tokyo)
May 1996 Kyoto Art Exhibition Purple Prize (Kyoto City Museum of Art/Kyoto)
April 1994 7th Stockton Print and Drawing Exhibition (Haggin Museum/California, USA)
May 1994 6th Grafinovva International Print and Drawing Exhibition (Ostrobothnian Museum/Finland)
May 1994 1994 Pacific States Print Exhibition (University of Hawaii/Hawaii, USA)
February 1994 39th Long Island Artists Exhibition (Heckscher Museum/New York, USA)
September 1993 "Three Women Printmakers" (South Huntington Public Library/New York, USA)
(Curator: Jeanne Brodsky)
May 1993 38th Long Island Artists Exhibition (Heckscher Museum/New York, USA)
April 1993 "Looming Art and Literature" (Seacliff Gallery/New York, USA)
Awards
2006 21st Holbein Scholarship
1996 Kyoto Art Exhibition Purple Prize (Kyoto City Museum of Art/Kyoto)
1995 Invited Artist/Guest Lecturer (University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA)
1994 Award Winner, 39th Long Island Artists Exhibition (Heckscher Museum of Art, NY, USA)
1992 Stern Artist Grant (Long Island University, NY, USA)
Education
May 1993 Master of Fine Arts, Long Island University, School of Art (NY, USA)
March 1987 Bachelor of Arts, Department of Fine Arts, Osaka Kyoiku University (Japan)
Collections
WAH Center (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
Numerous private collections
Artist-in-Residence
September 2007 Nagasa Art Program (Awaji City, Japan)
February 2000 New York Studio School of Drawing (NY, USA)