Technique: seawater, fire, paper
Size: 510x695mm

This is a contemporary Japanese painting in which the artist, Chiharu Mizukawa, has spent 20 years developing a unique artistic technique inspired by traditional Japanese children's play, rooted in ancient Japanese culture. The materials used are water and fire, with the water sourced from natural elements such as seawater and hot springs. In the ancient Japanese Shinto belief system, fire (ka) and water (mi) combined to form a deity (kami).
Mizukawa is a leading figure in establishing this technique, transforming the interplay of water and fire into a refined and delicate form of contemporary Japanese art. In this method, water—transparent and invisible during the painting process—is applied to paper. When exposed to fire, the particles within the water are scorched, revealing the image as a series of dots and lines.