When we lived in Japan for 4 years, I had the privilege to study Japanese ink painting and calligraphy. I learned to practice self-acceptance and embrace spontaneity and imperfections. I also deepened my connection to my Chinese origins that I share with these arts, which is a part of my identity.
Ink is my meditation practice and expression of my raison d'etre, my ikigai.
Kaii Higashiyama, Hsing Yun, my design shodΕ teacher Hidetoshi Mito, my ink painting teacher Tomoko Sase, and Australian fashion illustrator Kerrie Hess are my sources of inspiration. While I might paint subjects in travel, nature, and fashion from time to time, my favourite themes are drawing the enso and writing wu wei (effortless action).
Japanese ink stick, ink stone, washi paper, and bamboo brush are my favourite mediums. These are all natural materials that are time-tested. Sometimes I'll add a dash of colour through pigments or digital.
Now that I'm back in Australia, I aim to share appreciation of these age-old Zen arts. I hope to create works that inspire, uplift, and embrace differentiation, evoking a sense of joy and wonder that is accessible to all.
Works On Paper:
Before finishing each piece on a shikishi art board, I have created numerous sheets of "works on paper". I couldn't bare to throw them away, yet I can't keep all of them due to space limitations, so I'm making them available on my website https://gretcho.com. You can pay what you wish, if you'd like to first purchase some to see the nuances of ink on paper that the camera can't capture. I hope you'll see why I couldn't bear to throw them away.