Unit 1 - Artist Statement

Through my practice I am interested in exploring the cultural commonalities between different religions and spiritual beliefs. I am greatly inspired by spiritual thoughts, especially from Shintoism. My current research explores the Islamic world from my own Japanese perspective. I believe that we all share a familiar spirit, and I aim to explore this through processes of drawing and storytelling, looking to historical and contemporary texts and using subject matter of landscape, architecture and symbolism to unite cultures and create new narratives.

I mainly use drawing as a vehicle to combine a variety of references of past and present narratives. Through printmaking processes, I can transform the images further to unite all the elements through tangible lines, marks and nuances of surface.

Within my current practice I am researching narratives emerging within Persian literature and specifically the fable related to Jalal al-Din Rumi and Sufism. I am exploring the many metaphors and symbolisms within these historical narratives but then combining with own interpretation of my contemporary emotional journey, which is constantly shifting and changing through the diversity of living and considering my identity in the cross-cultural experiences of the 21st century world.

My aim is to generate new insights into these historical narratives and allow everyone to embrace the rich and exciting stories of the past and how they are still relevant today.