ABOUT THE SPRING DREAM FRAGRANCE COLLECTION
The magnolia blooms in spring and is called the "flower welcoming spring" in Japan. It is also directly associated with the emperor - it was a great honor if the ruler gifted someone a magnolia bush. In China, it is a symbol of female beauty, purity, and sweetness. There, it is believed that its scent induces romantic dreams and love (this is where I drew inspiration for the name of the collection Scent of a Spring Dream). During the time when Buddhism penetrated Japan (around the 7th century), magnolias began to be used more extensively in painting, literature, and, of course, in gardens.
Image source left - Myna on Magnolia, Koson (Naga Oban) Ca. 1910
Image source center – fineartamerica.com/featured/magnolia-branch-black-and-white-japanese-zen-sumi-e-painting-on-awen-fine-art-prints.html
Image source right - Kawarazaki Shodo, MAGNOLIA, 1970s
There are over 80 species of magnolias. However, only 5-6 of them are actually cultivated in gardens. The largest flowers can reach up to 20 cm in size. In some species, the flowers bloom before the leaves turn green. And it is this type of magnolia that I chose for the 2022 spring collection.
Source: Photo by Marina Reich on Unsplash
Magnolias are a completely new motif that, unlike previous collections, I have never painted before. The idea for it came to me from our neighbors' magnolia, which I walk past every day. Every spring, it is the first of all the trees to bloom and smells wonderful (and I am sensitive to scents and not much truly smells good to me :) ). It is a type of magnolia with white and light pink flowers. That's why the first version of the magnolia collection featured such blossoms. Gradually, however, I also grew fond of the purple-flowered variant, and I plan to paint both in the future. I also tried to capture it at the moment when it is in full bloom, but still without leaves (another thing that fascinates me about magnolias and distinguishes them from other trees).
Hand-painted porcelain is fired in a ceramic kiln at 1160°C, which gives it greater durability (including dishwasher safety). However, I paint vintage porcelain with colors fired at a lower temperature to avoid accidentally damaging it.
Textile products, sewn by Terka, feature a motif printed using so-called direct printing. We use both new and vintage textiles, giving them new life. My magnolia illustration, painted with acrylic paints, served as the template for the print.
