New York, NY - Space 776 is pleased to present a solo exhibition of selected paintings and drawings by Brooklyn-based Japanese artist Mitsuyo Okada.

Okada’s work explores “the atmosphere of nature,” which is a vibrant experience such as breeze, light
and shadow, smell, and temperature that a natural site creates, not the physical aspect of nature.
Experiencing the phenomenon of nature, such as the transition of the seasons or the climate change,
overwhelms us and impacts our feelings in many ways.

In her work, the contrast between the vibrant pastel and toned background surface creates a sweet
melancholic mood similar to the feeling of longing for home. The subject figure is simplified in a decorative and patterned manner and creates a two-dimensional composition, which feature is in common with the Rinpa school from the Edo period. The purposely left negative space in the background allows the viewers to imagine freely what could possibly be there; a sea, a mountain, the sky, or a building, etc.

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In “Wind Parade,” Okada depicted plants that she found early this year. No matter what, when seasons come around the plants from roses and hydrangea to the nameless weeds and moss grow their leaves, blooms, fruits, and pass on the seeds to the next year. The exquisite beauty and the sense that there are so many things in life beyond our knowledge or imagination thrill and excite us. While the viewers can discern a leaf here or a tree there, when looking at the series of paintings in “Wind Parade” the colors and textures indicate the sound, temperature, and the atmosphere of nature: a sensation that only nature can produce.