Kaki no ko (牡蠣の子)

The child as the pearl of the oyster. Something small and tender, formed over time and protected within a shell. The world can feel uncertain, but even in quiet and hidden places, something precious can take shape.
 
Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
30cm
2025
 
子たちの物語 (Tales of the Children) Series
According to Shintoism and aspects of Japanese Buddhism, spirit is not confined to human beings. Trees, stones, rivers, animals, and even everyday objects are believed to hold essence. The belief of animism or the culture of yaoyorozu no kami (八百万の神), honors the divine in all things.
 
子たちの物語 reflects this tradition through small、 quiet figures: children born not of people、 but of mother nature herself. These “children” are imagined as the embodied spirits of elements and objects. By giving them form, they are remembered. By witnessing them, we restore a sense of empathy toward that which is often overlooked.