Chasin' the Wind
Flow of Nature Exhibition, Second Act
2020/10/23~29 Saishoin Temple
While living in Nagano, I was always surrounded by the amazing scenery of the mountains and the cloudy sky. For years I felt like I would be unable to capture the essence of this breathtaking scenery by painting. Then I created the character of the Wind. She helped me tell the story of the mountains and the nature of Nagano. The playful wind is running around the sky, dancing on electric poles like they are tightropes, wearing the mountains like a scarf and the fluffy clouds are like her hair.
Eventually she changes her clouds into ocean-waves, when she says goodbye to the land of the mountains and jumps into the open sea, searching for new adventures…
In the second act, Sarah, the little cherry blossom, tries to chase the Wind, who blew away her petals. Can she catch up with her before she leaves the land of mountains?
The “Chasin' the Wind” exhibition was held in a buddhist temple called “Saishoin”. After the first act took place in a bright church, where I exhibited my vivid pink paintings, it was an interesting contrast to exhibit in a temple, with much less natural light inside. The calm aura of the dim temple was really matching with the deep ocean and sky blue paintings.
Also this exhibition was possible thanks to singer-songwriter performing in my first exhibition Sachiko Akimoto, she and her husband provided this temple for me to hold an exhibition. Ms. Akimotos melodies are like the wind, blowing my paintings into the place they were meant to be, and bringing them alive, by playing piano in the temple. It was really a magical experience, to see my paintings fit into this temple, feeling like they were at home.