Kitani Chigusa

 I love the @monthofmasters drawing challenges and this month's challenge really appealed to me as it showcases the work of Japanese artist, Kitani Chugusa who was known for her delicate art dedicated to beauty and women.

I chose to recreate her 'Kuchi-e' painting which shows a delicately-painted woman wearing a loose kimono. I love the red butterfly motifs on her kimono and finely-painted strands of hair.

I chose to draw a modern version of this painting.

Fabric Friday

This Friday's fabric is not a physical fabric, but a series of fabrics that have been realised through art. They are the creations of Ikenaga Yasunari a contemporary Japanese artist I discovered whilst living in Tokyo and he has become one of my favourite painters. Each of his pieces depict a modern Japanese woman, in a state of repose or in dreamy contemplation.The colours are nearly always in shades of sepia and this, mixed with the use of traditional nihonga Japanese painting techniques on linen cloth adds to its dreamy nostalgia. The women are always beautiful, but what I love about the art is the layering of modern fabrics and prints to create an abstract quality to the artwork.

You can see more of Yasunari's work here.

Ikenaga Yasunari

On saturday I went to the Tokyo Art Fair at the International forum, an event where galleries from all over Tokyo come to display their wares. As you can imagine, there is quite a variety of works, from heavily traditional, to ultra modern.

One artist that really inspired me was Ikenaga Yasunari, a Japanese man who depicts beautiful Japanese women wearing exquisite printed garments and reclining on printed throws. I love the combination of old and new, of a rather retro 1970s feel in the choice of colour, mixed with the modern poses of the women. He uses a Japanese technique called Nihonga. This usually involves sumi-e ink or natural pigments which are bound by a glue and then applied to washi paper or silk, but he has chosen to paint onto canvas, which gives it a rather modern yet earthy feel. Nihonga is usually known for its pure, luminous colour and this shows in the skin of the women he portrays.The Nihonga painting style gives his work a timeless feel and I desperately want to own one!