Bottom of Water #2 Drawing

Growing up in Japan, I have been exposed to the philosophy that we should respect nature. We are told that there is an invisible power in mountains, trees, water or even in the sound of wind. We are also taught to live with nature in harmony. My deep respect for nature has had a definitive influence on my life as much as on my art: Most of my visual motifs are derived from images of ever-changing forms of nature. When I wander in nature, colors, shapes, or compositions of nature, even the smell of the air around me talk to my spiritual core. My eyes perceive a tree or shadow as they exist in the real world, but my subconscious wishes to address the invisible reality of life. It is here that I recognize the ephemeral essence of human existence. Thus all of the images I see in reality and my inner reflections on humans are transferred to color and shapes and interwoven together into a canvas.