Momiji Art Exhibition

In September 2022, I travelled to Kyoto, Japan, for 3 months with filmmaker Tami Dončić to create the series 'A Painter in Kyoto'.

The series is an exploration of Kyoto's traditional art and the appreciation of nature as the seasons transition from summer to winter.

In May, I held my first solo exhibition Momiji, which translates to the reddening of maple leaves in the autumn. The exhibition consisted of 25 paintings, along with a variety of sketches and watercolours painted during my time in Kyoto.

The pieces were inspired by Kyoto’s natural environment and the people I encountered during my stay. I chose to display my work in order to mimic my journey through the Japanese landscape and the changing seasons, having three rooms introduce the three themes for the artwork: the end of summer, autumn and the beginning of winter.

The exhibition then continued in a separate screening room, showing the documentary ‘A Painter in Kyoto’, shot, directed and edited by Tami Dončić. The series’ episodes are available to watch here.

The final room of the exhibition touched on the topic of travel and exploration. The viewer was encouraged to interact with some of the items on display, including travel diaries, sketchbooks and items collected during the experience.