Ayako Takahashi Imbues Nature with Dreams and with Hope
Lecturer at the Ecole du Louvre/Art critic
Eric Monsinjon
The artwork of Ayako Takahashi is an ongoing love letter to Mother Nature. Her“ Morning View of Fukuura” speaks volumes about the extraordinary care that she has taken in scrupulously capturing the ambiance of a vast and verdant coastline, particularly the inlet—where water meets terra firma. Like a slowly opening door, the light of dawn casts an array of colors and hues over the scenery. It goes without saying that this artist loves nature and that she spends a good part of her days gazing at the nature that she so adores. The “scenes” viewed by the artist thus transform naturally into “scenery.” In her works, animals are not mere subjects, but living creatures with their own individual personalities, as evident in such works as“ Adorable, Faithful Dog” and“ Rooster’s Piercing Crow.”
Allow me also to discuss the undersea world that is found in much of her other artwork. In works such as“ Piscine Naturelle,” the stunning spectacle of two parallel worlds—one underwater and one on land—portrayed side by side is an illusion brought about by Ms. Takahashi’s unique perspective. To this she adds the harmony prsoduced by the overlapping rhythms of the marine life.By individually portraying each creature—a leafy sea dragon here, a manta there, a jellyfish here, ahammerhead shark there—within the frames of her paintings, Ms. Takahashi extols the wonders of this undersea world. At the same time, Ms. Takahashi also uses various materials drawn from nature in her creative endeavors so as to repay some of the blessings that she has received from Mother Nature while attempting to improve upon nature’s designs. Hemp paper, gold and silver leaf, natural Japanese pigments and other materials are skillfully manipulated and combined to create exquisite paintings that are at once physical and richly spiritual.
Recreating ever changing scenery across seasons, different lighting conditions or from moment to moment with a truly unique perspective, Ms. Takahashi’s paintings are nothing less than a pure sensory experience. From deeply moving emotions and the fleeting feelings of a moment to secret, inner thoughts, the various sentiments that dwell within her paintings beckon the viewer toward a state of deep contemplation. The scenery, people, animals and plants portrayed in her works reveal her personal experience of nature in the moment, depicting nature in its purest form so as to discern the true essence of things. While the many powerful artistic works of Ayako Takahashi are undoubtedly excellent paintings, they can also be viewed as a magnificent collection of poetry—as each work is steeped in the connotations of an elegant haiku in visual form.
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Lecturer at the Ecole du Louvre/Art critic
Eric Monsinjon
The artwork of Ayako Takahashi is an ongoing love letter to Mother Nature. Her“ Morning View of Fukuura” speaks volumes about the extraordinary care that she has taken in scrupulously capturing the ambiance of a vast and verdant coastline, particularly the inlet—where water meets terra firma. Like a slowly opening door, the light of dawn casts an array of colors and hues over the scenery. It goes without saying that this artist loves nature and that she spends a good part of her days gazing at the nature that she so adores. The “scenes” viewed by the artist thus transform naturally into “scenery.” In her works, animals are not mere subjects, but living creatures with their own individual personalities, as evident in such works as“ Adorable, Faithful Dog” and“ Rooster’s Piercing Crow.”
Allow me also to discuss the undersea world that is found in much of her other artwork. In works such as“ Piscine Naturelle,” the stunning spectacle of two parallel worlds—one underwater and one on land—portrayed side by side is an illusion brought about by Ms. Takahashi’s unique perspective. To this she adds the harmony prsoduced by the overlapping rhythms of the marine life.By individually portraying each creature—a leafy sea dragon here, a manta there, a jellyfish here, ahammerhead shark there—within the frames of her paintings, Ms. Takahashi extols the wonders of this undersea world. At the same time, Ms. Takahashi also uses various materials drawn from nature in her creative endeavors so as to repay some of the blessings that she has received from Mother Nature while attempting to improve upon nature’s designs. Hemp paper, gold and silver leaf, natural Japanese pigments and other materials are skillfully manipulated and combined to create exquisite paintings that are at once physical and richly spiritual.
Recreating ever changing scenery across seasons, different lighting conditions or from moment to moment with a truly unique perspective, Ms. Takahashi’s paintings are nothing less than a pure sensory experience. From deeply moving emotions and the fleeting feelings of a moment to secret, inner thoughts, the various sentiments that dwell within her paintings beckon the viewer toward a state of deep contemplation. The scenery, people, animals and plants portrayed in her works reveal her personal experience of nature in the moment, depicting nature in its purest form so as to discern the true essence of things. While the many powerful artistic works of Ayako Takahashi are undoubtedly excellent paintings, they can also be viewed as a magnificent collection of poetry—as each work is steeped in the connotations of an elegant haiku in visual form.