At the end of last year, Asami lost her beloved aunt — a woman who shaped much of who she is today. Stylish and effortlessly bold, her aunt worked in fashion and passed down not only her clothes, but a way of finding joy in colour and personal style. After Asami moved to Canada, their time together grew rare, and the goodbye, when it came, was sudden and without warning.

In grieving, Asami found herself asking why the loss of someone we love hurts so deeply — and came to understand that it is because the connection was real, and the memories were full of joy. The pain of loss, she realized, is simply the reflection of what once was.

The colours in this series were chosen with a single wish: that her aunt may rest in peace, in a place filled with the same gentle, soothing tones found here.

This series is Asami's quiet way of saying goodbye — her own form of mourning, painted in the only language she knows: abstraction.