KIKO from Japan

Drawing Japanese woman, watercolour on velvet.

Geisha ready for the tea ceremony, her jai-color hair flying in the wind.

 

KIKO is a portrait of a geisha captured in a moment of movement. Her jet-black hair lifts around her face, while the rainbow-hued background breaks away from the more restrained conventions of traditional Japanese portraiture.

Created using watercolor on velvet, the piece plays on the contrast between the softness of the medium, the intensity of the colors, and the precision of the facial features. The tea ceremony, suggested by the young woman's attire, places this contemporary figure within an instantly recognizable Japanese tradition.

Its bold colors make it a perfect fit for a contemporary interior, a bedroom, or a space with a subdued color palette.