"Itohoshi-ga" Painting

The expressions of children drawn by Yuki Harada are bare, raw expressions that can only be captured by  the eyes of mothers who give birth and nurture. It seems that the child's chaotic changes in emotions and  attitudes have been exposed. Just when it seems they were crying just now, they are laughing out loud.  Children who change the focus of their curiosity one after another on a whim are always in flux and never  stop. At the same time as expressing the endless love and affection for such a young child, she does not hide  her feelings such as uncontrollable irritation and tension. And the mother's small prayer envelops the whole  work while mixing the contradictory feelings.  Japanese painting requires a complex and time-consuming process and expensive art materialsーsuch as  sumi(black ink), gofun (white paint from shells), mineral pigments (crushed natural stones), and gold leaf.  And these are fixed with nikawa(animal glue) on Japanese paper. It appeals with its two-dimensional image,  beautiful outlines and the appearance of the color of the pigment itself. This complexity creates a unique  texture. The beautiful lines drawn by Yuki Harada has been highly appreciated by art professionals.  Traditional paintings such as kachōfūgetsu(nature themes) and bijinga(portrait of women) exist, and now  Yuki Harada continues to draw her daughterʼs growth as “Itohoshi-ga”(capturing adorable existence).