Building on Japanese arthistory (in particular woodblock prints) there is a tradition of portraying beautiful women (bijin ''beautiful person''). Another tradition was to combine said beautiful ladies in commercial series with a set theme.This series will focus on beautiful women combined with Japanese summer traditions.

Cooling off on the veranda ( 縁側で涼んでいる Engawa de suzunde iru ), 2024.
From the series 'Customs of summer' (Natsu no fūzoku 夏の 風俗).
30.7 (h) x 43.7 (w) cm. Gouache, akashiya sai marker and colour pencil on Fabriano 200 g. paper.
Euro 650 without frame.

The focus of this painting is on the theme of 'Cooling off'.
I used blue and white for the kimono and fan as these are colours associated with cold or refreshment. The kimono features a pattern of stylized streams of water, the fan stylized clouds. Of course the tradition of fanning oneself in the heat is a custom still very much alive today.

The last cooling off custom is to listen to the rustle of the wind through bamboo stalks. This motif reappears in the obi (sash).