Japanese Mountain Villages in Eclectic Colors (Shinto)
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Sawako Utsumi, a contemporary Japanese artist, offers a quiet yet profound homage to Asai Chū (1856–1907) in the art piece above. His life bridged the waning light of the Edo period and the turbulent dawn of Meiji modernity. Born into a Japan on the cusp of transformation, Asai’s artistry reflected a world in flux—where Western influences mingled with enduring traditions, and the soul of Japanese aesthetics remained rooted in woodblock prints, ink, and the quiet philosophy of older schools.
Yet Utsumi does not simply imitate; she reimagines. Her palette diverges boldly from Asai’s, infusing landscapes with vivid, altered color harmonies—a deliberate distortion that births something entirely new. In her hands, a mountain village emerges not as it is, but as it might be in memory or dream. The ordinary dissolves, and in its place, a transfigured reality takes shape—one that asks us to see the world not just with our eyes, but with something deeper.
The Artizon Museum says, “Asai Chu was born in Kobikicho, Edo, the eldest son of a samurai serving the Sakura domain. He entered the Kobu Bijutsu Gakko, the first art school founded by the Meiji government, where he studied with Italian artist Antonio Fontanesi, receiving a thorough education in Western art. Under the guidance of Fontanesi, who worked in the style of the Barbizon school, Asai created works filled with admiration for laborers at work in farming and other occupations, in natural and rural settings.”
This other enchanting works by Utsumi invites the viewer into a dreamscape—a gentle escape from the noise and weight of everyday life. It is a vision that speaks to something universal: the quiet yearning to step beyond the real, into a world shaped not by reason, but by reverie.
Bathed in unearthly hues, the mountain villages become more than just a place—it becomes a mirage of the soul, where memory, longing, and imagination intertwine. Though this landscape is born of artistic invention, it is no illusion. Rather, it is a necessary fiction—a radiant fragment of beauty conjured to restore hope amid shadow.
Here lies the quiet truth of Utsumi’s mountain village: beneath its eclectic forms and dreamlike palette rests a deeper message—that even imagined worlds can offer real solace when the spirit falters.
In the second and fourth pieces, Utsumi weaves an eclectic tapestry of color with the quiet undercurrent of Shintoism. This delicate interplay evokes a graceful harmony between visual expression and spiritual tradition, gently recalling the ancestral reverence and profound bond between humanity and nature that lie at the heart of Japanese identity.
The BBC says, “In its purist form the Shinto faith reveres nature. Central to the belief is the assertion that somewhere between Gods and spirits there are Kami. These have the power to change different aspects of life and can be invoked by ritual acts.”
Overall, the first and third pieces transport the viewer to eclectic villagescapes, where the imagination drifts between the dreamlike and the introspective — inviting quiet reflection on what might be possible. In contrast, the second and fourth works ground this ethereal journey in the spiritual — drawing upon Shinto motifs to illuminate a deeper connection between soul, tradition, and the enduring presence of Shintoism in the collective consciousness of the Japanese people.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/japanese-mountain-village-in-eclectic-colors-sawako-utsumi.html Japanese Mountain Village in Eclectic Colors
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mysterious-village-inspired-by-sekka-sawako-utsumi.html Mysterious village inspired by Sekka
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/shinto-and-the-shadow-of-the-past-illuminated-sawako-utsumi.html?newartwork=true Shinto and the Shadow of the Past
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mysterious-village-inspired-by-sekka-sawako-utsumi.htmlMysterious village inspired by Sekka
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-magical-mountain-village-inspired-by-sekka-sawako-utsumi.html The Magical Mountain Village Inspired by Sekka
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sawako-utsumi.html – Sawako Utsumi and where you can buy her art, postcards, bags, and other products. Also, individuals can contact her for individual requests.
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi and her website – Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times
PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK