The Art of Sui Jessica Craven (Saitama)
Painting by Jessica Craven
became distinct, with Japanese art generally having softer lines and forms. A distinguishing feature of suiboku-ga is its limited color palette. Paintings are often monochromatic, or only one or two colors are used in addition to black. Painting by Jessica Craven
Japanese ink painting is experiencing a boom of popularity in the West―many artists are looking to expand their materials and methods―and right now there is a particular interest in Asian art. Nevertheless, in Japan it seems surprisingly to be a somewhat overlooked art form. Perhaps this is because the younger generation of Japanese people have less interest in it. Despite this, ink painting, or suiboku-ga, is an art form with an incredible expressive power and profound history, and it is sure to reach a peak of popularity in Japan again later down the road. Quite a few foreign artists like myself are studying suiboku-ga in Japan, so I hope I can pass on some of my experiences and knowledge of this art form to you all. First, I’ll run through a brief history of suiboku-ga (also known as sumi-e). It is a type of ink painting that was first developed in China during the Sung Dynasty (960-1274), and brought to Japan by Zen Buddhist monks in the mid-14th century. Over time, the styles of painting between Japan and China
82 Photos: Jessica Craven
For me personally, I began studying the suiboku-ga technique after meeting my teacher, Abe Michiko, largely by chance. A couple of years ago, one of my friends invited my parents, who were visiting from the U.S., and I to participate in a tea ceremony at Ms. Abe’s house. It quickly became apparent that Ms. Abe was an extremely active and multi-talented woman, despite admitting to being over 80 years old. Incredibly, she taught herself traditional Japanese ink painting techniques when she was in her 60s, and has exhibited and sold her work worldwide. She has had solo art exhibitions in Taiwan and several galleries in Tokyo. She regularly teaches students suiboku-ga painting at her home in Saitama Prefecture, and has other students of tea ceremony and contemporary kimono design. Upon seeing her work, I immediately decided I wanted to study with her, but I was worried she wouldn’t be willing to take on a foreign student. Those worries turned out to be unwarranted, as I speak a reasonable amount of Japanese. Now, I have been studying with Ms. Abe for about two years. For the first few months, it was very challenging. When working with ink, every brushstroke is permanent. Extreme focus is necessary in order to avoid mistakes. As a result, it is a very slow and meditative process, even a small flower painting takes about two hours to make. Much
