Hanae Utamura’s  Germination series captures the emergence of life.
Using watercolors, this series contemplates the space of water in landscapes from lakes and rivers to the oceans where different life emerges.

The work imagines water as a mediator of various life forms, such as microbes, plants, animals, and the fetus in our own bodily fluid, connecting the life of micro-organisms to macro-organisms.

The brush strokes come with a breath, which is also a source of life.

Approaching the land as an extension of our body, for example, the soft flow of water evokes our blood vessels as streams of rivers. Their strong expression conjures up imagery of volcanic eruptions, as well as rupture in our body, from inside to outside.

Thus, the work uses water to explore the space between the landscape and our body, capturing the dynamic life of earth and our body as one.

Each work from the  Germination Series is printed in an edition of 25. Click on the images below for specific information on each work and to purchase.