JUURI

First Spring - Risshun

30" x 30"

Printed on Paper, Framed

$350

My work is driven by themes from my Japanese heritage, and is a way for me to find home. Mental wellbeing is also a part of feeling home, and often this piece of the puzzle eludes us. I wanted to paint a girl who is in recovery, who is being saved. Oftentimes recovery doesn’t happen immediately. We may still feel stark and bare whilst only a few signs of life sprout around us. This is alright! My piece is called “Risshun,” which is the name of the Japanese spring season. This season starts off very cold, almost indiscernible from winter. We just have to believe that the blooms are coming soon. And they will.

JUURI is a Tokyo-born Japanese+American artist currently working from Oklahoma City. Her colourful figure-driven work is inspired by traditional Japanese art (bijin-ga and yakusha-e) mixed with a modern fashion photography feel. JUURI’s subjects always have a melancholy look about them, perhaps echoing the artist’s own emotional sensitivities and deep thought regarding the world around her. The florals may subconsciously represent the Garden of Eden...a place JUURI believes all humans seek to find repose and belonging.