Hi, my name is Michiko.

I am a Wagara decorative painter.

 

What is Wagara?

 

Wagara means Japanese patterns that used to be applied to traditional Japanese clothes, Kimonos.

 

The decorative painting originally started in Europe and spread all over the world.

 

In the Middle Ages in Europe, they started to curve plants and flowers on their furniture items.  Those pieces of furniture were all for the high class because they were expensive.

 

Then, they found a cheaper way and started to paint flowers and plants for middle-class people.

 

The decorative painting techniques moved to America, and they started to paint American cottage houses, teddy bears, snowmen, and other American items.

 

I used to live in America and love American motives, so I followed American artists.

 

I came back to Japan, and I still continued to paint and teach American decorative painting.

 

One day, one of my friends asked me, ‘why do you import from America to Japan?  Why don’t you export from Japan?

 

At that time, my mind changed completely, and I started searching for ways to express Japanese motives with decorative painting techniques.

 

One day I visited my mom living in Yokohama.  She showed me her Kimonos.  They were so deep in her chest and unopened for a long time, but they were so beautiful.

 

I decided to paint from one of her Tomesode.  Tomesode is a formal Kimono only mothers can wear at the wedding ceremony.

 

This is the story of why I started Wagara decorative painting.

 

I hope you enjoy my painting, and learn more about Japanese Wagara.

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＜Favorites＞

Kaze Fujii, Bruno Mars

Kimono, table style tea ceremony

Enjoy dual life in Tokyo and Yamanashi