The message of nature, which is constantly changing

After applying multiple layers of oil paint to cover the entire canvas, he scrapes off some of the paint. The unexpected colors that emerge are inspired by organic lines. ruteN is an artist and flower artist who has a deep connection with the souls of plants and nature, and leaves behind diary-like drawings of messages he feels in the moment.

As the artist's name, taken from the Japanese word "ruten" (flow), suggests, things such as plants, seasons, and nature are constantly changing, and he presents a world view of the ever-changing flow of life on his canvases.

In this exhibition, "Impermanence," ruteN will exhibit about 20 oil paintings that express the inner energy of plants and the beauty of life that he senses during the seasons of autumn and winter, when energy circulates despite the sadness. This will be an installation exhibition that combines the works of Ikebana (Ichiyo style Ikebana), for which he holds a professor's diploma.

A fusion of flower arranging and painting. Painting flowers as if they were arranging them

ruteN began working as a painter in 2020 and quickly distinguished himself in art competitions. He began studying Ichiyo-style Ikebana in 2018 and obtained his teaching certificate in 2023. He says that the sensibility of Ikebana is similar to painting, and his style is characterized by "painting as if arranging flowers."

"I feel that the sense of arranging flowers in Ichiyo Ikebana, the way of facing the flowers, and the way of balancing space and time have heightened the resolution of the messages and energy signals that I have received from nature since I was a child. The way I move my brush and the strength of the pressure I use overlap with the sense of arranging flowers."

ruteN, who uses plants as the motif for many of his works, says that since he was a child in his hometown of Miyazaki, he has been in contact with plants and communicating with them without words. He senses "the existence of what is visible and what is invisible" and draws as his hands move. He says that when he is drawing, he feels immersed as if he is deep in the forest, and encounters colors he had never imagined. He says that accepting the colors themselves and drawing them feels like he is having a conversation with the plants. For ruteN, drawing can be said to fulfill the cycle between nature and himself.

Beauty that only lasts for a moment. Something that exists in nature forever.

"The scenery that looks the same every day is changing little by little. In today's hectic society, it is necessary for us to face the beautiful changes that can only be encountered in this moment."

The consistent theme of ruteN, which captures the scenery that appears in front of us in such a moment in the natural world, is "transience" and "impermanence." And we continue to look at what lies beneath it.

"When I scrape off layers of paint and unexpected colors appear, it's like a sudden return of the scent of osmanthus I once smelled, or a childhood memory. From that perspective, scraping off the various layers of paint also feels like a reflection of something deep within myself, made up of diverse memories and experiences. This also overlaps with the joy I feel when a plant in front of me shows me an unexpected expression and engages with me."

ruteN has recently been creating works in darker tones, such as black and green, in addition to his vibrant primary color style. He says that when he looks at these works, he feels as if he is sinking deep into the ocean and communicating with the cells floating in the deep sea.

The color of the flowers illuminated by the light, the crests of the waves on the sea: none of these retain their color or shape, and although they are only momentary, they are the flowers themselves, and the sea itself.

Both plants and animals perish. ruteN tries to capture "something" that continues to exist without perishing on the other side. The colors that emerge from the depths of the screen suggest the existence of self and truth, and that the beauty of the impermanent world lies in harmony with nature.