Satoko Aoki Scented Place - dark roast H600×W200×D38mm

Dyeing Series 2026 Mixed media Acrylic paints, Japanese mineral pigments, pigments, canvas H600×W200×D38mm [Artwork Description] This piece is part of the "Where the Good Scent Is" series and forms a pair with "light roast." The top and bottom edges feature bands of floral patterns in white lines on a deep blue background, while the central body of the work is filled with a calm yellowish-green beige. The composition, shared with "light roast," shows a large, dome-shaped form of overlapping leaves, with the steam rising from a coffee cup at its apex. However, in this piece, the leaf colors are deeper, dominated by rich shades of dark brown, deep green, and black. A black creature clutching coffee beans and sleeping is nestled along the line extending downwards from the center of the dome. In contrast to the brown creature in "light roast," this creature is depicted in a near-jet-black hue. The scattered black dots around it evoke dark-roasted coffee beans, and together with the white curves of the steam, they quietly depict the scene of a richly aromatic and deeply flavored cup of coffee. The subtitle "dark roast" symbolizes the rich flavor of deeply roasted coffee, which is more intense and aromatic, contrasting with the light and refreshing aroma of "light roast." Using the same motif of a tree and a dome, the different depths of color express the diverse facets of coffee—the brightness of a light roast and the richness of a dark roast—as a pair. As stated in the artist's statement, this work is also an attempt to reproduce the "blurring," "shibori," and fine line drawing of Yuzen dyeing unique to dyeing, without using actual dyeing techniques, but rather with acrylic paints, Japanese mineral pigments, and canvas. [Artist's Comment] This series by Satoko Aoki, a former dyeing artist, focuses on the "concept" of dyeing. It is a new endeavor to "express dyeing without dyeing." Using acrylic paints and canvas, popular materials in painting, this work reproduces the blurring and shibori unique to dyeing, and is richly infused with the "beauty of dyeing" that the artist felt while dyeing, such as the Japanese-style scroll design and colors, and the fine lines of Yuzen dyeing. As someone who loves dyeing, there may be aspects where it cannot compete with authentic dyed products, but by expressing dyeing without actually dyeing, it solves the challenge of "fading" that was present in dyed products. This series aims to preserve the beauty of dyeing for future generations for a longer time. I hope this series can become an opportunity for people to become interested in dyeing, even if just a little.