Japonisme: Fireworks and Cherry Blossoms

I remember visiting Monet’s house at Giverny and being struck by the vibrant yellow walls, covered with Japanese woodblock prints. It was a moment of revelation—my first glimpse into the profound influence of Japanese art on the Impressionists and other artists working in France during the late 19th century. Later, I discovered the visual conversation between Hiroshige and Van Gogh, where Van Gogh created a series of paintings based on Hiroshige’s prints.

My series, Japonisme: Fireworks and Cherry Blossoms, continues this conversation by adding photography into the chain of artistic evolution, merging past and present through a fusion of mediums. I incorporate a photograph taken in or inspired by Japan, add gilded elements and color surrounds, and text from cut randomly from ancient Japanese poetry books. I work to create a dialogue between not only the past and the present, but a plethora of mediums and interventions, acknowledging the craftsmanship of traditional printmaking while embracing the possibilities of modern photography. By blending photographic techniques with the intricacy of hand-applied embellishments, I hope to create work that feels both timeless and personal—a meditation on beauty, history, and artistic evolution.