When I look at Ayano Ichiyanagi's work, I feel like my breathing settles. The orange of the Campsis (trumpet vine), the yellow of the Coreopsis, the purple of the Oxalis. All are vibrant, yet not overwhelming. The blank spaces seem to let light through, and it feels as if she's depicting something not just within the plants themselves, but in the space between plants and seasons. The motifs are always familiar wild flowers, but there's a sense of distance that makes them feel like a natural part of everyday scenery.
"Being praised" was the starting point
Ichiyanagi, who was born and raised in Shizuoka, encountered art through her homeroom teacher in the third and fourth grades of elementary school. She told us that being praised by that teacher, who was an art teacher, was the starting point for her love of drawing. This feeling remains unchanged and is at the root of her creative process. Her motto for continuing is to "cherish the feeling of loving to draw," and it feels as though that original sentiment is still very much alive in her words.
Kyoto changed her perspective on scenery
In her twenties, she frequented cafes where creators gathered, leading to many encounters with various people. A major turning point was her life in Kyoto in her thirties. Amidst the city's atmosphere and culture, which differed from her hometown of Shizuoka, sketching became a daily routine. As her opportunities to connect with nature increased, she found herself drawing plants more and more. The world of dyeing she discovered in Kyoto led to her current textile work. Later, after giving birth and spending time with her child, her eye for nature deepened even further. Shizuoka, Kyoto, and the days since becoming a mother – each place and time seems to form a layer in Ichiyanagi's artwork.
Exhibition at Kyoto Art Center
Art materials and creative rhythm
Her art materials are VifArt watercolor paper (fine grain) and Kissho gansai (Japanese paint used in Nihonga, characterized by its unique color development and texture). This combination, she says, is what she settled on after trying various materials. The delicate colors and texture, and the bleeding effect created by watercolor techniques, perfectly match the expressions of the plants. And she doesn't sketch. She cultivates the image in her mind, then goes straight to the paper. This straightforwardness may be what creates the unhesitating flow in her lines. While creating, she often plays soft, atmospheric music by artists like Haruka Nakamura or Masakatsu Takagi, and I feel a connection between this music and the quiet brightness of her work.
Ichiyanagi's art materials
Not over-investing, thus reaching out
Ayano Ichiyanagi says, "I don't over-invest my intentions or feelings into my work." By drawing objectively, she believes the work can resonate with the viewer. Her aim is not to make a statement, but to create resonance. The small beauties in everyday life that we might overlook, the changing seasons – at the heart of her work is the desire for her paintings to gently reawaken our sensibility to these things. Not over-drawing, leaving room, and using colors she feels. It sounds simple, but I believe that sticking to this is actually one of the most difficult things to do.
In the lineage of Keisuke Serizawa and Naomi Ito
She names Keisuke Serizawa, a master of stencil dyeing, and textile designer Naomi Ito as artists who have influenced her. Both are creators who practice "beauty that enters daily life," not just confined to museums. Hearing their names, I felt I understood why Ichiyanagi's botanical paintings naturally connect to everyday tools and fabrics.
As a small splash of color, into daily life
Her words, "I would be happy if my work could be a small splash of color in daily life," seem to express everything. She also shared her desire to expand her expressions in the textile field to various items in daily life, such as wallpaper, curtains, and tableware. Drawing pictures and creating things that enhance everyday life – I feel that Ayano Ichiyanagi cherishes both with the same sentiment. Her work gently brings the atmosphere of the season into the daily lives of those who display it. That is the essence of Ayano Ichiyanagi's art.
