Galaxy Flakes Print

You might think this quite a small piece to depict a Galaxy. I compare it to a Japanese haiku- the shortest form of poetry in the world. Using just 17 syllables, haiku is able to portray the vast universe, the change of the seasons, and one's deepest emotions. The famous Edo period haiku poet Issa Kobayashi, wrote '' A lovely thing to see, Through the paper window's holes, The Galaxy''. His inspiration came while lying sick in bed, from where he viewed the vast night sky through a small hole in the ripped paper of a sliding door. While he could have chosen to open the door to see the entire sky he didn't. I similar hope that you can experience the amazing galaxy that I see, through a small piece of Son Mai painting. With kawari-nuri technique on the background silver leaf and silver makie give the feeling of light under a thin layer of clear lacquer. As the light penetrates the lacquer, it gives a sense of depth. Through the combination of textures I created using sabi urushi (raw lacquer mixed with river silt) and a beautifully glossy cambodian lacquer blended with Vietnamese natural lacquer, I have tried to capture that which is constant and that which keeps transforming, utsuroi (ABOUT MY MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUES) Son Ta, Vietnamese natural lacquer, is an organic material purified and processed from sap of Rhus Saccedanea tree. In my son ta painting, art is created by building layers of lacquer with different colors and textures, and other materials (such as gold, silver, eggshells, and mother of pearl). Underlaying layers are then sanded back to the surface. Son ta has a high transparency compared to other natural lacquers. High transparency enables lacquer to have more vivid colours when mixed with colour pigments. The transparency of the material can also be used to create a variety of expressions. What fascinates me most is the fact that son ta "ages" with time. Natural lacquer hardens by a chemical reaction rather than dries. Enzymes within the lacquer catch oxygen from H2O in the atmosphere and polymerize. This reaction happens in son ta over a much longer time span compared to lacquer from other countries. This makes son ta much softer at the beginning, but turns it harder and tougher with time. Its transparency also increases, making the finished work brighter and more colourful with time. Son ta painting is an art form that ages like fine quality wine. The longer the time, the better in quality and flavor, until the chemical effect is fully complete.