‘Nihon-ga’ meaning ‘Traditional Japanese Painting’, is the technique which I discovered during my initial three month exchange in Japan. I returned to Osaka Seikei University in Nagaokakyo, after graduation in order to further study this technique which I find so incredibly beautiful.
This technique relies on many materials found in nature which are made available through the hard work of artisans who lovingly continue to produce these art materials and strive for the highest quality, with respect for the artists that will use them but also with even more respect to the precious elements that nature has produced.
The colours are made from semi-precious minerals such as malachite, azurite and cinnabar as well as earth and plant pigments. As these minerals are becoming increasingly rare and due to their environmental impact, synthetic versions of these pigments are also made available. The pigments are mixed separately with water and ‘nikawa’ (hide glue) and applied to Japanese washi paper made from the fibres of Kozo (mulberry) and hemp. It is also traditionally painted onto silk and often onto gold, silver or other metallic leaf. The beautifully soft and essential white pigment, ‘Gofun’ is derived from the cured oyster, clam or scallop shells. The Sumi ink stick is made from the soot obtained by burning vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil.
Please click on the galleries below to view some of my works :
