Happy Holidays!

In Japan it is custom to send New Year’s postcards (年賀状 nengajo) to friends and relatives, similar to the Western custom of sending Christmas cards. Traditionally these cards are decorated to show the new zodiac, 2019 is the year of the boar.

With 4 group exhibitions, 1 solo exhibition, the start of a whole new body of work, the launch of my brand new website and load and loads of classes and workshops, 2018 has been an absolutely amazing year!

Living in Japan comes with a unique set of challenges but if you keep an open mind, have a bit of courage, some amazing friends and a lot of patience it comes with great rewards. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to establish myself as an artist here in Nagoya over the past year. Many of the events and classes I have been a part of this year would not have been possible without the help of this amazing group of fellow artists and friends I have met here. The artist community here in Nagoya is so generous, genuine and truly one of a kind! I would like to extend a special thank you to all the wonderful people who have so generously shared their knowledge and techniques with me this past year. This country continues to be extremely inspiring and I feel very lucky that I will have a little bit more time to explore its rich art history and culture in 2019.

Next to adding quite a few pieces to my continuing 'Traveling the World' series, I also started a whole new body of work titled 'World on Washi' which is inspired not only by Japan as a subject but also by many of the Japanese techniques and materials I have experienced as well as the Japanese minimalist esthetics. This body of work is still in its early stages but I have big plans for new pieces in the coming year so keep an eye on my website and social media pages (Facebook, Instagram). 

For those of you interested I still have some pieces available on my website and Saachi Art and if you're looking for something custom I work on commission as well, just send me an email for additional information. If you're in Toronto or Motréal, I am working with two wonderful galleries who would be happy to assist you in finding the perfect piece for your collection. In Toronto you can visit Latitude 44 Gallery located on 2900 Dundas st. West in the Junction area and in Montréal you can find my work at Viva Vida Art Gallery located on 278 Lakeshore drive in Pointe Claire, and for my Montréal audience we will have a little surprise coming up in early 2019 so keep an eye out for future blog posts! 

I would like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and an art filled and creative year of the boar! 

良いお年を! (Happy New Year!)

Once in a lifetime....

As an artist it always feels very special when someone asks you to create a painting on commission. It is a unique and very intimate experience that often makes the piece feel more personal. When working on commission I always make sure to meet with a collector in person whenever possible, to get an idea about what they have in mind and I make sure all parties are happy with the composition before moving on to the actual creation of the piece. I send pictures of the piece in all its different stages during the creation process so they get to see the piece come together from start to finish, something that is unique to the commission process.

Commission pieces are always more personal and often require me to go out and photograph specific buildings or events to collect all the material needed. I love working together with my collectors to create the perfect piece for them!

'Ichi-go-ichi-e' (一期一会)

Last week I had the pleasure of revealing a newly finished commission piece titled 'Ichi-go-ichi-e' (一期一会) to my wonderful, passionate collector Olga. 

'Ichi-go-ichi-e' is a Japanese saying that reflects the idea that each moment is unique and will never be repeated again so it should be enjoyed and appreciated. This piece reflects many special moments this beautiful family has experienced here in Japan, places they have visited, people they have met, as my collector so beautifully put it: "This piece contains our passion, our faith, our work, our precious moments is far and all we love so much in Japan! This is not only a piece of art! It is a memory to which we will look until we are old, and it will bring us back in time to all these moments again!"


I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to create a piece that is filled with so many memories and so much meaning. It will be a very special addition to their collection that they will cherish for many years to come.

Are you interested in adding a special commissioned piece to your collection? Please don't hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to work together with you to create your perfect piece of art!