Naomi Katsu

An artist of Japanese origin who has been living in France for fifteen years, Naomi Katsu is at the crossroads of influences. From her native country, she draws a precise gesture that goes to the essential: "My work is all in lightness, with a certain economy of means: just ink and paper".

Her Japanese inks with natural pigments are worked in a play of superposition and transparency, tracing delicate watercolors that seem to capture the suspension of time. For everything - the way the water will meander through the colors, the way the paper will absorb the liquid - happens in a fleeting moment. In this series "Depth", created on January 1, 2021 - "the first day of the year is for me the day when everything starts over again" - the artist explores shades of blue, which she punctuates with gold ink to catch the light.

"Fascinated by the ahhness of things, her delicate watercolors explore the concepts of ephemeral, energy and light. They evoke the "Mono no aware", a gentle sadness felt over impermanence and transience. All her work help understanding and accepting that innate uncertainty of life helps us evade the overwhelming feeling of morbidity associated with impermanence. She has always managed her search with a smile and confidence and her positive attitude is a nice tool to permanently progress. The essence of art becomes enlivened when you infuse the object of your creativity with your own spirit of inspiration and we can feel it with Naomi. Some works of art can have a deeply spiritual impact on viewers even though the artist was completely oblivious to this quality during the process of creation."

Amélie du Chalard