Naoko Shibuya’s practice centres on the close observation of the natural world and is inspired by the resilience and fragility of nature. Her recent body of work is inspired by time spent in her parent’s garden in Japan, rediscovering the charm and beauty of familiar plants and flowers.
‘I draw ideas from the form of trees, plants, flowers and small birds, not only for visual effects, but also to express the strength and robustness of nature. Plants and flowers show dramatic changes in such a short time when they are in bloom and also when they wither. Each figure in each moment represents the turn of time, which seems to go far towards expressing an invisible stream and the phenomenon of fleeting moments in nature. I have been trying to capture something of its essence.’ – Naoko Shibuya
