Maiko Photograph

Traveler, artist, photographer, writer and philosopher. I find joy in photographing and painting the beauty of the people and places I connect with along the way. I hope you enjoy a glimpse into where my passions, dreams and ideas have taken me. My work ranges from serene nature and landscape photography, captured in the Far East, to candid street portraits captured in a number of culturally diverse countries from around the world. My journey first began in Thailand in 1994, which eventually evolved into an eight year stay in Japan, studying Nihonga, or Traditional Japanese painting. I have studied Nihonga for over 10 years now. Several of my Nihonga paintings, as well as my photographic works, have been selected for juried art exhibits at the Setagaya Art Museum, in Tokyo, Japan. My passion for photography sparked while exploring countries rich in culture and history, such as India, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore, Israel, Spain, the Sinai desert in Egypt, Brazil, China, Japan and other stunning and evocative locations. Living in Japan for over eight years greatly influenced the direction of my artistic path. While apprenticing under a notable Japanese artist, Atsuko Miwa, I learned a unique style of painting called Nihonga, or Traditional Japanese painting. This style of painting dates back over a thousand years and is rarely heard of outside of Japan and China. The pigments, called Iwa Enogu in Japanese, are derived from natural sources and therefore offer an exquisite final result. Specifically, they are derived from semi-precious stones, crushed minerals, sea shells, coral, colorful insects, tree moss and other sources from nature. Gold and silver are also often used in powder form, thin leaf or flakes. What results is a unique texture, brilliant rich color and ethereal hues. Through my studies in Japan and through exploring and photographing diverse cultures, I discovered painting and photography hold parallel and independent components in the creative process, and that by studying both there has been a reciprocal development of my skills in each medium. I hope my love and reverence of nature and people can be felt by outside viewers in both my paintings and photographs. I also hope to remind people of the inherent beauty our world holds. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, I currently reside in Vancouver, British Columbia.