"This collection honours my beloved late mother, who was a distinguished Professor of Japanese Floral Art. Her passion for this beautiful craft has inspired me deeply, and through these works, I aim to celebrate her legacy and artistic vision.
The representation of nature in Japanese art has profoundly influenced me. I have been inspired by Sumi-e artists, who create simple black ink works with their carefully curated white spaces. Abstract feelings and sensations are prioritised over realism, inviting viewers to connect with the essence of natural elements in a deeper, more emotive way.
As in Zen practice, this art form requires that the artist lets all thoughts disappear until only a blank white sheet of paper remains before them. The art is then created by painting various tones of black ink, from pure black to the lightest shades of grey achievable. In this way, reality is expressed by reducing it to its purest form.
To accomplish this in my work, I intentionally over-expose my photographs, then using a fine brush to restore the tree shapes with light, I bring the work to life by carefully burning each branch and leaf back into the artwork, by hand.
Finally, I print the finished work using archival pigment black ink on Fine Art Textured Silk paper, enhancing the artwork's unique depth and character."
Peter Dooley - Artist
