Isabelle Kawai Vincent
2024 WOMAN OF GOLD
Born as the very first second generation Japanese Australian in a small country town, Castlemaine, central Victoria, Australia, I was surrounded with Japanese images from books, magazines, posters, kimonos, Japanese ornaments and music which my mother had bought from Japan or gifts from my Japanese family.
During my years at university, while completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts, I realized that my innate Japanese influence was becoming evident in my artwork. I embraced this, and initiated my own self-study of Japanese art as it was non-existent in Australia at that time.
Over the years I gained extensive knowledge, skills and techniques of Western style art, but I still had a thirst for a Japanese style of art. In 2010, I discovered an artist named Hidekichi Shitemoto doing a painting performance on the internet. I was completely awestruck!
In 2016, I began to feel that I had stagnated as an artist. Therefore, it was time to leave my comfort zone so I became an artist in residence at Studio Kura in Kyushu, Japan.
While I was there, I attended a Kodaimoji (ancient Kanji script) lesson by Kenryo Hara, the master of Bokkoku. Once I held a huge brush loaded with Sumi-e ink and did a large splashy gestural mark, I was revived!
I relocated to Japan soon after to continue to learn about this style of Kodaimoji and to enhance my Sumi-e techniques, I attended traditional Sumi-e classes and a workshop by mentor, Hidekichi Shitemoto.
I work mainly intuitively so my artwork can vary from being purely Kodaimoji to a fusion of Kodaimoji and Sumi-e painting.
Background:
Studied Bachelor of Fine Arts, La Trobe University
“My artistic journey continues as my Kodaimoji and Sumi-e techniques evolve in my attempts to express my inner truth, and discover the hidden essence of Japanese calligraphy, art and culture to be reinvented into my artwork."
- Isabelle Kawai Vincent
2024 WOMEN OF GOLD ARTISTS
Women of Gold is a multimedia project celebrating the stories and contributions of women in the City of Greater Bendigo. Increasing the representation of women across different sectors and inspiring industry to innovate and meet the needs of our community as a whole.
