(oil, colored pencil and weld pigment on board, with artist frame of walnut and cherry) This painting holds many stories, like its layers of chalk gesso, oil paint, colored pencil, and weld pigment, starting as blank and formulated over time without any preconceived idea of what it was going to look like. I called it “Ophelia” because as I was painting over layers, an abstract image of a female figure showed up. Though, unlike the tragic character from the works by John Everett Millais and Shakespeare, this Ophelia floats on water in total peace, surrounded by abundant nature under the blue sky. This is her happy place, and so is mine, no matter how loud and chaotic the outside world may get, when I have a chance to float on my back on the water, whether in the bath, pool, or the ocean and close my eyes, I can hear myself breathe, just be, at and in peace. As I look at the painting now, it is a call, a spell, a prayer for peace. The dandelion also showed up unexpectedly over the painting, and it is a symbol of resilience and hope, and I intend that peace spreads wildly and vastly like their seeds do.

Shizuka Kusayanagi

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Painter and dwriter (draw & writer), now based in Fukuoka, Japan. I’m passionate about art as a way of connecting—both with oneself and with others. I believe there’s no hierarchy among art forms. My practice ranges from oil paintings on linen to single-panel cartoons on index cards, and inclusive, all-ages art workshops. More to come.