Shoko Okumura

Japanese contemporary painter Shoko Okumura’s works explore the relationship between humans and nature, focusing on the spiritual dimension and ephemeral nature of the natural world’s constituent elements. The result is a body of work that is both delicate and profoundly poetic, where the richness of the details breathes life into the natural forms, and where finely applied gold and silver leaf illuminate the surface as they catch and reflect the light.

Shoko Okumura: the spiritual dimension of nature

At the heart of Shoko Okumura’s work lie the beliefs, spirituality and Japanese traditions bound to nature and its elements. Her work is inspired by the Shinto vision of nature as sacred, populated by invisible forces likened to deities. As a result, in her contemporary paintings, nature emerges as animated, alive, and in motion.

The artist points out that traditionally, Japanese shrines are built in unspoilt landscapes, often tucked away, deep in the heart of forests. This harmonious relationship between spirituality and the natural environment contrasts with the Western religious tradition, where most sacred buildings have sprung up in towns and cities. The sacredness of nature and its central role in the relationship between man and the world permeate all of Shoko Okumura’s work, and she is equally concerned about ecological issues and the conservation of natural environments.

“I am trying to explain why we always paint natural elements or landscapes. It is because Japanese painting was born to represent the invisible Shinto divinity present in the many elements of nature.” Shoko Okumura

The essence of things fixed in the present moment

Shoko Okumura’s work is also heavily influenced by ‘mono no aware’ (物の哀れ), an aesthetic and spiritual concept in Japanese culture that evokes the impermanence of things and an almost melancholy sensitivity to their ephemeral nature. The beauty of nature is not fixed: it is in perpetual transformation – the seasons pass, the colours fade, the harmonies of sound change… Through her painting, the artist seeks to perpetuate the present moment, to live it to the full, and to immortalise the nature she contemplates with admiration.

“The ‘melancholy of things’ does not prevent us from capturing their essence in the moment, which – because it is unique – becomes in its own way permanent. More than an aesthetic canon, ‘mono no aware’ is a way of being deeply rooted in the Japanese spirit, one that is experienced rather than simply observed. It also finds expression in painting, of which I have felt myself the messenger for many years.” – Shoko Okumura

A technique combining Japanese and Italian artistic heritage

Shoko Okumura was born in Japan in 1983 and grew up in Tokyo, nourished by a fascination with all things historical and ancient. After studying art history at the École des Beaux-Arts, then traditional painting at the University of the Arts, she left the modern metropolis and moved to Florence in Italy to study fresco restoration.

This immersion in Italian techniques enabled her to discover new materials that she combined with those of her own tradition. She then developed her own method: she frequently applies a base of gold or silver leaf to a Japanese paper support, then paints over it using traditional Japanese pigments combined with those used for frescoes. A subtle fusion of two very different and very rich artistic heritages.

During her fifteen years in Italy, she developed her career as a restorer, teacher of traditional Japanese painting and artist. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and art fairs in Japan and Europe since 2010. Her artistic body of work also extends into other fields, including fashion, publishing, and jewellery, through numerous collaborations. In 2023, her work was reproduced using the Nishijin weaving technique for the prestigious Bulgari Hotel in Tokyo. Today, Shoko Okumura lives and works between Tokyo and Milan.