Have you ever wondered “what is life?”, or “what is the purpose of us in life?” The question has been there since the creation, and is still something that many people are struggling with. My own journey to answer this question began right after the Lehman shock when I woke up to the fact that I needed a better work-life-balance. In my quest to find the good in life, I also came to see the bad. Nevertheless, I believe that culture and art enrich our lives and bring joy to our hearts.

As the famous saying, “Fortune favors the brave”, to make the most out of my life through learning something new, I decided to learn Suibokuga or black ink painting by asking a close family friend Ms. Masuyama sensei who was teaching oil painting to my kids at the time. She was born in 1920s in Japan and had a great love for the nature, especially flowers. She was a caring person with a strong heart, and I spent almost 10 years learning from her. During that time, she not only taught me how to observe and appreciate paintings, but also the importance of patience and perseverance when creating art. I discovered more about myself, and the importance of being true to oneself. Something similar to Zen.

I also started Nihonga (Japanese traditional painting) by trying to reproduce some of Ito Jakucho’s works which inspired me the most.
You could say that my experience with my sensei was a once in a life time one, something that I remember forever. It was like the art of thinking together, putting aside our differences, and engage in a dialogue that would channel our collective energy toward creating something new. We learned from one another with respect and equality, making positive and mindful changes for better.

I believe that only when you are open and allow your differences to surface and interact, when you commit to hearing and seeing, to deepening your own understanding and thinking, to learn and excel in life, only then it will lead to emergence of something original. It will be a meaningful and true self-expression, something valuable and dynamic that can move hearts.

Japanese traditional art and culture have a lot to offer to the world, and they will continue to evolve through positive cultural exchange, impacting and giving hope to the world.

Through this website, I hope to share my understandings, views and art works that represent who I am. It brings me great joy to be able to communicate with people from around the world.

With my sincere gratitude