Series : I Dream of Birds
I’m drawn to birds; for me they symbolise life, freedom, grace and finesse, yet, they are strong, powerful and I’m amazed by what they can do, by their incredible musicality and their intelligence. When they migrate they can fly for thousands of miles without landing – how do they do it? It’s remarkable!
As an artist, I’m attracted to birds for their beauty and their ability to fly. They symbolise various things for me depending on my emotional creative state.
The small birds of different colours do not represent any particular species. That their shape bears some resemblance to cranes is purely fortuitous. When I paint these birds, I let my creative emotions flow freely, and the colours spring spontaneously from my brushes. I paint directly onto the paper without any preliminary sketches, in a meditative state of deep concentration, and I need to be alone. I’ve been painting them for years. To me, they symbolize my liberation, letting go of what burdens my life, my freedom. But sometimes I’m thinking of someone to whom I want to give a bird — someone dear to me — and then it is that person who inspires me with the colours.
I started painting the red-crested crane from the Island of Hokkaido simply for its elegance and grace. It is a migratory bird except on the island of Hokkaido where it is sedentary, and it’s found in other countries such as Northern China and Siberia. In Japan, this crane has been highly symbolic for centuries, and has been represented by artists in paintings and other artefacts as well as on traditional kimonos. Also, the red-crested crane features in many legends and tales and it symbolises longevity, prosperity, loyalty, harmony and happiness. Then I became interested in how they live now. That moved me so much that I decided to share my concern with you by briefly exposing the dangers that birds in general are facing.
As an artist, I’m attracted to birds for their beauty and their ability to fly. They symbolise various things for me depending on my emotional creative state.
The small birds of different colours do not represent any particular species. That their shape bears some resemblance to cranes is purely fortuitous. When I paint these birds, I let my creative emotions flow freely, and the colours spring spontaneously from my brushes. I paint directly onto the paper without any preliminary sketches, in a meditative state of deep concentration, and I need to be alone. I’ve been painting them for years. To me, they symbolize my liberation, letting go of what burdens my life, my freedom. But sometimes I’m thinking of someone to whom I want to give a bird — someone dear to me — and then it is that person who inspires me with the colours.
I started painting the red-crested crane from the Island of Hokkaido simply for its elegance and grace. It is a migratory bird except on the island of Hokkaido where it is sedentary, and it’s found in other countries such as Northern China and Siberia. In Japan, this crane has been highly symbolic for centuries, and has been represented by artists in paintings and other artefacts as well as on traditional kimonos. Also, the red-crested crane features in many legends and tales and it symbolises longevity, prosperity, loyalty, harmony and happiness. Then I became interested in how they live now. That moved me so much that I decided to share my concern with you by briefly exposing the dangers that birds in general are facing.
