I first developed my distinctive water-based process to help me perceive nature’s phenomena and capture them in motion. Inspired by the ever-changing essence of waves, clouds, and bird murmurations, I create abstract paintings and mixed-media works with intricate details.
I use water as a material and tool. I wet canvas with a foam brush, add muted liquid pigments using a dropper, and pour water on the surface, creating new “in between” colors and shapes that result from gravity and chance. Then, in a series of steps that include ink drawing, spray painting, and collaging details cut from my other work, I build dynamic compositions that evoke nature’s forces in a moment of flux.
I’ve found that my creative identity is rooted in my heritage. Born and raised in Osaka, I grew up surrounded by traditional Japanese arts influenced by Zen Buddhism. Later, as an adult living in the United States, I learned of the beautiful landscape drawings that my grandfather, an industrial designer who passed away before I was born, made while serving in World War II. In these five-by-seven-inch works of places he traveled including Sumatra and Vietnam, he juxtaposed extraordinary detail with the minimalist use of black ink on paper. His art became a powerful influence on me.
Just as my grandfather found solace in depicting nature, for me the act of making art has always been a way to explore perception. In a world that won’t stop moving, I aim to create a space to freeze time–if only for a moment.