Insideoflukeshead

Nihonga painting Marseille pigeon rescue | Vitality 生命力 contemporary kacho hydrangea art

At the end of May I went to Marseille to meet Celine, who rescues pigeons caught in thread and trash. Holding one while she worked, I felt a muscular, primal strength I’d never noticed. That’s 生命力 — vitality.

In this painting I paired that bird with hydrangea. Hydrangea is the flower of June in Japan. It blossoms in the rainy season, right in the downpour, and it stands. No matter how heavy the rain, it remains — patient, unwavering, beautiful.

Together they tell a story of survival: the bird’s desperate, powerful will to live, and the flower’s quiet, steadfast ability to endure through the rain.

As the Observer in my Contemporary Kacho series, I paint these tensions because resilience isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s just the strength to keep moving, and the grace to stand while the storm passes.

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I’m also opening a few spots for custom commissions. If you have a motif or memory you want to see through Nihonga, you can inquire through the link in bio.

Thank you for looking closely.