Contemporary Japanese Artist: Mountains
Contemporary Japanese Artist: Mountains and Skylines
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Sawako Utsumi is a contemporary artist from northern Japan. In her works, she vividly reimagines the colors of mountains and skylines, offering a bold reinterpretation of natural landscapes. While the spiritual aspects are not overt, the influence of Buddhism and Shintoism subtly permeates her art through themes of continuity, space, and time.
In the artwork above, Sawako Utsumi pays tribute to Hagiwara Hideo (1913–2007). While acknowledging his legacy, she asserts her own artistic voice by incorporating bold, original elements—a stark white tree set against a radiant yellow mountain and a vivid, low red skyline. These striking features, evoking energy, renewal, and vitality, offer a layered reinterpretation that both honors and transforms the essence of Hagiwara’s vision.
Hagiwara gained prominence in the latter half of the 20th century, his perspective deeply shaped by the trauma and experiences of the wartime era.
The highly lauded poet Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) influenced many people connected to the arts and other angles of high culture. Her Buddhist faith gave her strength during times of extreme pain and sorrow.
Ōtagaki Rengetsu gracefully wrote:
My wish is to see
a cloudless moon
above the lotus flower
in my next life.
One can almost sense the gentle spirit of Ōtagaki Rengetsu drifting through Sawako Utsumi’s mountain landscapes and tender, dreamlike skylines.
Each of the four artworks evokes a quiet tranquility and a dreamlike atmosphere that gently echoes in the heart, especially in moments of heightened emotion.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/japanese-yellow-mountain-and-stillness-sawako-utsumi.html Japanese Yellow Mountain and Stillness
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/stillness-of-the-dimming-night-homage-to-hagiwara-hideo-sawako-utsumi.htmlStillness of the Dimming Night by Sawako Utsumi
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/japanese-green-mountain-and-tranquility-sawako-utsumi.html Japanese Green Mountain and Tranquility
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/stillness-of-the-night-utsumi-and-homage-to-hagiwara-hideo-sawako-utsumi.html?newartwork=trueStillness of the Night by Sawako Utsumi
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi and Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times
PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK