My Favorite motifs; my works in 2024
Hi! My goodness, it’s already mid-March and I can feel the excitement in the air as cherry blossom season approaches. Hanami party craziness is coming up real soon!
Cherry blossoms symbolize a new start for us Japanese, so before I sink myself into the Hanami festivities, I want to reflect on my watercolor journey in 2024.
On a sunny spring day, I pulled all my watercolor works from 2024 out of a drawer, spread them on the floor, and reflected on what I’d created. Last year, I challenged myself to paint more of my favorite subjects, and looking back, I noticed 7 themes emerged. I’d like to share these with you as a way to introduce myself and my art.
1. Pu-kunn: My Muse
It’s said that artists have special sources of inspiration, like certain landscapes, models, or events. They call that a “Muse.” For me, my Muse is my favorite polar bear plushie, “Pu-kunn.”
I used to keep my love for plushies kind of quiet, but I’m so glad to see plushie fans are actually everywhere now, with companies like Jellycat exploding in popularity.
My Pu-kunn embodies my love and longings in fashion. When I use stuffed animals as a motif, I explore my own definition of ‘cuteness,’ which is a major theme in my creations. This involves not only my personal sense of ‘kawaii’ but also incorporating the evolving ‘kawaii’ aesthetic of our times, blending childishness with maturity.
2. Community and Connection
Another theme I really love exploring is friendship, especially between unexpected pairs, like dogs and birds. I binge watch YouTube videos about unlikely animal buddies. For example, I adore the story of Mr. Murabayashi, who lived with his alligator, Caiman, for 43 years. Isn’t that amazing?
This fascination with unusual bonds inspires my watercolors where I paint Pu-kunn having adventures with his stuffed animal friends. Through these whimsical scenes, I try to capture the joy and magic that comes from unexpected connections, reflecting what I find most beautiful about relationships in our real world.
3. The Beauty of Flowers
Up until now I’ve been sharing my personal obsessions, but I truly love drawing flowers too. Flowers have inspired me to experiment with watercolor as a medium, exploring color combinations and the interplay between blurred and dry strokes. I feel especially attached to hydrangeas because they bloom around my birth month. My family house has a backyard garden that my dad takes care of, where I bring some flowers home to draw. I hope my flower drawings bring the same joy and brightness that real flowers bring to a space.
4. Nature’s Grandeur
Speaking of nature, I’m fascinated by panoramic, large-scale landscapes. I create larger-sized drawings with this theme, inspired by my experiences in both snow sports and surfing.
The vast, pure white mountain landscapes (I visited Tsunan, Gala, and Naeba this season) seem to wash away the clutter in my mind from the information-dense city life, which is why I go every season.
On the other hand, while I’ve tried surfing several times and even taken classes, I’ve never actually ridden a wave and probably never will. Still, experiencing the power of the ocean has left an indelible impression on my mind.
5. The Museum Experience
Making a sharp turn to another inspiration—I love visiting museums and galleries. Of course, I appreciate the art itself, but I’m equally drawn to the spaces. The soft lighting and quiet atmosphere create the perfect setting for the surprise and curiosity that artwork evokes. I enjoy the complete experience.
A particularly memorable work this year was Kate Newby’s “Pocket Works” at the Hermès Gallery in Ginza. You can’t discover this work unless you read the brochure for the show and find the line that says “ask a gallery attendant to show it.” (So many people don’t read these brochures, and most of the time I skip them too, but this time I didn’t!) I can still recall the excitement when a gallery attendant pulled works from her pocket and placed them into my hands—so delicate and subtle, yet the most memorable experience for me.
6. Personal Reflections
For those who have read this far, I feel I can trust you with a more personal and tender experience that involved family relationships. I’ve now created a healthy distance from my family, and this year I felt compelled to draw “Leaving Comfortable Shore.” I borrowed this title from a phrase I saw in a bar called Toilet (funny name, huh?) in Shinjuku, Tokyo, over a decade ago. The words have resurfaced in my mind periodically and encouraged me to move forward, but this time they became the title of my drawing. I wish light and bright days to those of you who are also leaving the nest or sending off someone near and dear to you.
7. Collaboration: Music
I’d like to conclude my reflection with work that made one of my dreams come true on December 31st.
I asked my husband to create music for a piece featuring Pu-kunn enjoying an outdoor sauna. (Sauna is something I love, and I’ve been longing to experience an outdoor sauna someday.)
My husband created the music in January, so I had planned to launch this project early in the year, but after several unsatisfactory attempts, I finally uploaded the video on December 31st. Better late than never!
I love drawing to music because it brings unexpected images to my mind and encourages me to go outside of norms. I hope to expand this project continuously in 2025.
May your many small and big dreams—both delayed and premature—come true in 2025!
Let’s enjoy 2025!!
Thank you for reading this big post – now you’re officially my hardcore fan! If any theme resonates with you, please let me know.
After this reflection, I realized my favorites surround me, and you, so Thank YOU! All those scattered works on the floor were worth creating.
I just checked that cherry blossoms in Tokyo are expected to bloom around March 26th, so I made this post just in time!
In May, I’ll be joining a group exhibition:
- Sat. May 3rd, 2025 – Friday June 6th
- Crescendo Coffee Bakery
- 〒125-0035 Tokyo, Katsushika City, Minamimizumoto, 4-1-16
- Hours: 8:00-18:00
I would love to see you there! Otherwise, see you in the next post.