Small Paper Sakura nº7, Bronze Artwork

This work is inspired by multiple trips I’ve taken to Japan during my lifetime. Specifically, I came across this small bunch of sakura (cherry blossoms) during my most recent visit to the imperial gardens in Tokyo in 2023. I photographed the flowers and used that image as a reference. The sakura calls to mind spring and renewed vitality. It is also an enduring symbol of the impermanence of existence. Its natural beauty and fragility is juxtaposed against the energetic, expressionistic, and suggestively urban paint strokes that make up the background. I use Duralar sheets, which by their translucency allow for different levels of opacity throughout the layering of the piece. Circular perforations add another dimension to that interplay. Using 24 karat gold vintage Japanese thread to stitch the various layers together creates a varied amount of play between the layers, producing organic undulations that further accentuate transparency and opacity in different areas. Frame: solid maple stem wood, UV-plexiglass, archivally hinged to acid-free foamboard, set on white acid-free mat, lined interior white, acid-free foamboard backing and hardware