I love to make cherry blossom themed artworks, so I wanted to hold my solo exhibition during the cherry blossom season. I am really grateful that I could hold my first solo exhibition in a nostalgic Japanese old house near Meguro river, Tokyo, where cherry blossoms are really famous. This exhibition is already one of my best memories.
2022 Shihomi Homma Solo exhibition
2022 Shihomi Homma Solo exhibition2022 Shihomi Homma Solo exhibition
Suibokuga (水墨画)- Japanese traditional painting art
Suibokuga is sometimes called Zen Painting.
Sumie is painting with ink.
And Suibokuga is one of Sumie painting, with the gradation of dark black to light black.
Main tool for Suibokuga, “Sumi ink” is made from mainly soot, animal glue, and perfume.
sumi ink 墨
We add a little water into an inkstone (suzuri) and rub sumi ink, it becomes dark black color.
Ink stone SUZURI 硯rub ink with ink stone
By mixing this black ink with water, we can create the gradation color of black to light grey.
mixing ink with water to make gradation colorgradation black color
In Japan, Suibokuga is not just about paintings drawn with only ink, but we include some colored paintings drawn with mainly ink and some pigments also.
Sumie: The way of painting with ink was already in Japan since Nara period (710 – 794).
And Suibokuga style was brought in Japan at around Kamakura period (1185 – 1333), then became very popular especially at around Muromachi period (1336 – 1573), as Suibokuga style paintings were deeply connected with ZEN temples.
Until 14C, the subjects of Suibokuga were humans called “Jinbutsu ga” (人物画) , and flowers and birds called “Kacho ga” (花鳥画).
In 15C, “Sansuiga”(山水画) , meaning “mountains and water paintings” became popular.
Subjects of this Sansuiga is nature, such as mountains and water falls, rocks, trees etc.
I love to paint Japanese nature and symbols in Suibokuga.
Sakura cherry trees, bamboo tees, pine trees, Mt. Fuji, crane birds, and koi fish.
Sometimes tigers and Ryujin dragon god as well.
Tigers and Ryujin dragon god are also very popular subjects for Suibokuga.
I love to express Japanese beauty with the amazing gradation of ink with some colors.
That is my Suibokuga.
Sakura cherry blossoms painting art Kimono silk kakejikuJapanese calligraphy art bamboo hanging scrollExtra-large Mt.Fuji and Japanese Pine tree hanging scroll, Impressive landscape ZEN style wall decorGorgeous Kimono silk obi Japanese painting Mt. Fuji, crane birds, pine tree wall decorJapanese painting of Koi fish in ZEN circle, EnsoJapanese painting calligraphy art hanging scroll Kakejiku wall decor crane birds, Mt.Fuji, Japanese pine treeJapanese painting Tiger and bamboo ink art kakejikuUnique tiger & bamboo Japanese painting Kakejiku hanging scrollExtra long Drago Ryujin calligraphy art kakejiku hanging scroll