Contemporary Japanese Artist (Transcendental Skyline and Buddhism)

Contemporary Japanese Artist (Transcendental Skyline and Buddhism)

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Sawako Utsumi is a contemporary Japanese artist who frequently pays homage to both Japanese and European masters. Yet, as with this homage to Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942), her art transcends simple admiration and enters the realm of philosophical inquiry. Through the prism of color, Utsumi explores deeper questions concerning existence, perception, and the fragile boundary that separates illusion from reality.

The intriguing color of the skyline is entirely intentional. Bathed in luminous yellow, the horizon appears suspended between the tangible and the ethereal, creating an illusion and a reality at the same time. The skyline glows with an otherworldly presence, inviting the viewer to question what is seen and what merely appears to be seen. Like life itself, certainty remains elusive. At times, it becomes impossible to know where illusion ends and reality begins.

1 Peter 1:24 (a Christian holy man and martyr) said: “For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls.”

In moments of joy—amid nature, where beauty reveals itself in countless forms—life can appear dreamlike in its perfection. The gentle splendor of the natural world, the warmth of sunlight, and the serenity of fleeting happiness create an illusion of permanence. Yet such moments cannot withstand the relentless passage of time. Bliss fades, seasons change, and all earthly beauty eventually yields to impermanence. Accordingly, Utsumi’s artwork accepts that life itself may be an illusion; however, it also suggests that certain illusions are worth embracing, perhaps even more than the stark realities that accompany human existence.

Buddha said, “The world is afflicted by death and decay. But the wise do not grieve, having realized the nature of the world.”

These words resonate quietly within the composition. The radiant skyline becomes more than a visual device; it transforms into a meditation on transience, acceptance, and wisdom. Its golden glow neither denies mortality nor mourns it. Instead, it reflects the understanding that beauty and impermanence are inseparable companions.

The revered Buddhist Monk Nichiren (1222-1282) said, “Life in this world is limited. Never be in the least bit afraid!”

Henceforth, through the prism of this contemplative artwork, Utsumi poses a timeless question. Is life an illusion or a reality? Is it a false reality shaped by ingrained cultural norms and inherited assumptions? Or is existence itself a subtle fusion of both, where illusion and reality endlessly intermingle?

The yellow skyline offers no definitive answer. Instead, it remains suspended in quiet mystery, encouraging each observer to reflect upon the nature of existence and to discover for themselves whether life is a dream, a reality, or an inseparable union of the two.

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