Drawing on paper

Signed on the front.

This artwork comes with an external frame

I grew up watching all stages in the life cycle of rice. It started with the green stage, my sister and I used to play hide and seek in the nets covering the rice grass every early summer in our front yard. After nursing the baby rice grass, my grandma and grandpa moved them to water-filled rice fields. The rice grass grows through summer to autumn then eventually changes colour to a golden yellow. Every year we had harvest days, where we went out to the rice fields with our family members all day long, helping out with some easy tasks that children can even manage to do; such a fun time. After harvesting, we move every grain of brown rice home to polish them. That stage was the itchiest part and made me little wheezy, but I loved to dive into the bed of husks every year. That moment was the special reward for our hard work and I felt a sense of achievement every single time.

- This artwork is created on drawing paper with Sumi-ink, and medium-size, thin calligraphy brushes specially sent from Japan. Signed with my calligraphy pseudonym (Gagou) and stamped my Gagouin (calligraphy pseudonym stamp) to finish.

子供の頃には、稲の成長過程を見ながら育ちました。苗の時期には周りに猫除けネットが張られていたので、その中で妹とかくれんぼをしては、よく𠮟られました。苗が成長して程良い大きさになると祖父と祖母が水田に移し替えていたのを思い出します。稲の苗は夏から秋にかけて成長を続け、徐々に黄金色に姿を変えます。毎年秋になると収穫作業に追われました。家族総出で一日田んぼに出かけ、子供でも出来る簡単な作業を手伝いました。収穫作業が終わると、玄米を脱穀機にかけて籾殻と白米を仕分けする作業です。この過程は皮膚がとても痒くて、少し喘息気味になりましたが、毎年残った籾殻の山にダイブするのがとても楽しみでした。その瞬間は頑張って働いた後のご褒美の様な物で、底知れぬ達成感を毎回実感出来ました。