CREATURES BLOOM: RAKU INOUE
RAKU INOUE
Life is full of spectrums. Artists work and play among them, sometimes bending or remixing, sometimes transforming or trading places.
Raku Inoue turns flowers into insects. His ongoing Natura Insects series features an endless array of butterflies, moths, and a whole range of other insects that are each made up of seasonal leaves and petals.
Spring creations tend to start as pastels, moving into brights of summer, then moving into warm earthy tones of autumn.
Seasonality is a guide for Inoue, as he draws on his studies of Ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement. The principles are grounded in a deep respect and sensitivity to only use what is most abundant.
Inoue collects materials that have been naturally shed. He often finds petals and leaves that have fallen to the ground after a rainfall or a windy day.
The fantasy insects ask us to see bugs in a new light -- to see their beauty.
Born in Japan, now based in Montreal, Inoue is influenced by both cultures. He also works in digital and fashion design, both of which inform his Natura Insects. His meticulous arrangements and careful compositions have both a graphic and delicate sensibility.
The series began as an exercise to inspire Inoue’s spontaneity. He challenged himself by experimenting with different media. “ I was a bird stuck in an opened roofed cage. All I needed was to look up and see the different possibilities opening up.”
The insects evoke fond memories of his grandfather with whom he spent much time when he was a child. After his grandfather passed away one summer in Japan, he remembers windows in his childhood home were left open, allowing dragonflies and other insects to enter. His mother pointed to a dragonfly and said, "That's your grandfather, reincarnated, visiting you."
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