2018 Catalogue Archive

The calligraphic silver marks on Yuuna Okanishi’s swirling blue canvases illustrate the movements of sharks swimming in the deep ocean. A student of calligraphy since she was seven years old, Okanishi trades in ink for acrylic in her pieces, and the simple streak is made with a large brush masterfully swept across the canvas in a fluid motion. Okanishi’s interest in the ocean comes from her intense dismay over environmental pollution and its effects on sea life. In her Blue Songs series, she attempts to bring awareness of man’s effect on the oceans through her mark making.