Shinto and the Shadow of the Past Illuminated
Sawako Utsumi is a contemporary Japanese artist. She was born in Ishinomaki. However, sadly, Ishinomaki was especially hit hard by the tsunami (several thousand people died in this part of Japan).
Her art is based on the Kano School of Art. Yet, despite this, the color angle and the addition of a lovely Shinto shrine denote her individuality.
The MET Museum says, “The Kano school was the longest lived and most influential school of painting in Japanese history; its more than 300-year prominence is unique in world art history.”
Utsumi’s village is dreamlike. In contrast, the Shinto shrine connects the past, present, and future. Therefore, the Shinto shrine and the landscape of nature – and the community it serves – are a natural phenomenon in a cultural sense.
The BBC – concerning Shinto – says, “Kami are not inherently different in kind from human beings or nature – they are just a higher manifestation of the life energy… an extraordinary or awesome version… Kami don’t exist in a supernatural universe – they live in the same world as human beings and the world of nature.”
Overall, a delightful art piece created by Utsumi.
Written by Lee Jay Walker
Sawako Art 