Lexie Painting

In early 2017 Louise, an Irish artist, moved to Nagoya, Japan. It was at this time that she began her Cow Paintings. Growing up in a region where cows outnumber people, these animals were an integral part of her life in Ireland. She particularly loved their curiosity and their funny personalities. Their angular form and slightly awkward movements make them really interesting subjects to paint. On a recent trip home to Ireland Louise photographed the cows in the fields around her home and these became the inspiration for her work. Upon her immigration to Japan, the cows from her village in Ireland took on a more symbolic role. While Japan shares Ireland’s strong culture of raising cattle, Louise was struck by the differences in their approach to the farming of these animals. For her these reflected the many larger cultural variances between Japan and Ireland. Louise depicts her cows in abstracted yet familiar landscapes, reflecting the feelings of confusion and alienation that immigrants can feel upon arrival in their new home.