A o i r o h a
“A o i r o h a” is a word coined by Asami. Ao means Blue in Japanese, and Iroha is an ancient Japanese poem from 10 to 11th century.
This poem is unique in that uses all of the Japanese Syllables.
———
Even the blossoming flowers
will eventually scatter
who in our world unchanging?
The deep mountains of Karma-
we cross them today
and we shall not be superficial nor be deluded
———
In this collection, there are two dominant shades of blue utilized to bring the paintings to life. Indigo blue depicts the winter mountains and the sea, and light blue represents the icy glaciers.
Asami wanted to translate to her canvas the tranquil silence and fragility she felt from the colour blue. Similar to the blossoming flowers in the poem, Iroha, Asami drew parallels with her interpretation of glaciers that will eventually melt and scatter into many shades of blue, representing the invariable array of emotions that life brings.
C h a n o K a
ー 茶の香 ー
“Cha no Ka” is a term coined by Asami.
The essence of the phrase describes “The scent of tea”.
Asami once had the pleasure of enjoying a Chinese tea tasting with her friend for her birthday, where she tried four kinds of beautiful tea that originated from China. She remembers that each tea had its own distinctive flavour. The Osmanthus tea was especially appealing as its yellow flowers were beautiful and had a burst of sweetness that she likened to a combination of peach and mango. The tea was extracted from an Osmanthus tree which was hundred years old in a village surrounded by clean air and land. The owner of the tea shop emphasized the importance of not only appreciating the tea’s flavourful taste but also the history of the plant and the conditions of the untainted land.
This experience inspired her to create this painting collection you see here that consists of seven paintings, all centred around the theme of tea.
Asami realized that it is essential to make the time to slow down and calm our minds, especially in the current age of information overload. She intends for the combination of her brushstrokes and embroidery in the “Cha no Ka” series to invoke the same sense of serenity and tranquillity that she felt while sipping on a cup of aromatic tea.
