Ingrained – Kimono Wagara #1(Sakura), 2024
Charcoal, graphite, watercolor on paper
18" × 24"
Wagara are traditional Japanese patterns rooted in centuries of craft, carrying meanings far beyond decoration. The floral pattern blooming across this figure's skin is drawn from kimono fabric, a Kyoto dyeing tradition known for its refined botanical motifs. Among the flowers, sakura blooms mark the arrival of spring and embody mono no aware, the bittersweet awareness that beauty is precious precisely because it does not last.