Description

Nana Shiomi: Water Mirror is the title for four woodcut prints illustrating four tea-bowls. Each one differs as each one represents one of the seasons. The four prints have been on display as part of Japan Water.

Tea drinking is one of Japan’s most important and best known rituals. The tea ceremony, as a ritual for receiving guests had its origins in the 16th century. Simple and peaceful surroundings are important. Also the tea bowl is a work of art in its own right.

Pure water is absolutely essential for making the green teas which are drunk.Here, the word ‘mirror’ in the title makes that even clearer, imagining that we can see ourselves reflected in the liquid.

The importance of the seasons

Nana has added a third element here, also an important part of Japanese culture: the seasons. Emphasising the distinct character for each season, she has changed the colour balance each time. We see the tea bowls resting on her characteristic motif of the orange floorboards, which give depth and recession to the images.

Left to right: 1. Water Mirror – Spring; 2. Water Mirror – Summer; 3. Water Mirror – Autumn; 4. Water Mirror – Winter

About the artist

Nana Shiomi is a printmaker, born and raised in Japan, now based in southeast London. During her artistic training, completed at the Royal College of Art in London, her identity changed. She began by looking only at Western contemporary art, but her fellow students regarded her as Eastern, something exotic. Gradually she discovered her Japanese side and increasingly it has shaped her, but distinctively, through her art. For her, print-making has shaped her identity.