First solo exhibition in 10 years. The theme is "Symbiosis."

A woman stares straight ahead. Tigers and lions take refuge nearby, and on the flowers blooming nearby are beautiful, winged mermaids and mysterious creatures like fairies. Echizen Natsuko draws living creatures with a sense of firmness of will. She unfolds a world where fantasy and reality mingle.

"I've been drawing since I was old enough to understand things, but at the time I wasn't good at interacting with people, so I didn't know any other way to express myself other than through drawing. Drawing was a way to connect with the people around me, so for me drawing was very important and deeply connected to life."

Echizen has been fascinated with drawing since he was a child, and has been drawing whenever he has time.

He majored in Japanese painting at art university, and says that traditional painting methods remain the foundation of his work, starting from learning about the properties of pigments and animal glue particle by particle, and making his own paints.

From there, he went beyond the boundaries of art and began working as an illustrator in pursuit of pictures that are more relevant to everyday life. Since then, he has been active in a wide range of areas in the world of illustration, including advertising, character design, and displays at commercial facilities. This will be Echizen's first solo exhibition in 10 years. He will be showcasing about 15 mixed media works that combine digital drawings and real paints, as well as hanging scroll works.

This will be the artist's first solo exhibition with such an independent theme, and it will be an opportunity to see new artwork for the future.

"I was able to broaden the scope of my expression as an illustrator, but I don't think I was able to delve deeper into my own work."

Echizen, who felt conflicted, dug deep within himself and discovered the theme of "symbiosis." He expressed his desire for a relationship in which all living things, including humans, animals, and plants, respect each other's individuality.

Fantasy and reality in harmony

"When we look around the world, we see many unequal relationships, such as those based on race, gender, and interests. This is not a relationship of master and servant, where one is superior to the other, but rather the dignity of living together, transcending even the boundaries of species."

Rather than an equal relationship, we aimed for a more natural harmony, and the title "Harmonious" overlapped with the feeling of Echizen.

"It's a world where even combinations that seem odd at first glance can harmonize. I want to eliminate as much as possible preconceptions about what a particular race is. I paint with the feeling of knocking on the viewer's preconceptions. Removing preconceptions is a discovery and a possibility. I want people to enjoy it."

He has the skill to capture all things in the universe, such as an octopus and a hamster playing with a woman, and a lion and a rabbit sleeping together on the beach, in a symmetrical yet dynamic composition. From the preparation of the base to coloring, to the detailed drawing with a delicate touch, Echizen's style shows that he has a firm grasp of the essence of Japanese painting.

In addition, Echizen draws expressive characters, making use of his experience in illustration and character design. Here, Echizen creates pop art that captures the vitality of living things and can be enjoyed without sharing any context. The viewer's imagination will be cleared to the max, and they will feel their common sense and stereotypes loosened.

A story that begins with the viewer's own experience

If we do away with the rules and common sense of the world, we cannot become part of this world. However, if we are trapped by them, our lives will lose their luster. This is also Echizen's intention to represent the mysterious world, which is the concept of this gallery, where fantasy and reality intertwine.

"Thinking about character settings and background stories is a necessary process when I draw, but I don't want that to be the only correct answer for my work. I want my work to stir memories of the past and stimulate imagination for the future, and to create a narrative for each viewer."

Myths and oral stories that have been rooted in land since ancient times. They sprout from human imagination and the humble realities of everyday life, and exist as eternal beings, like large trees that have grown in harmony with the local climate, rather than as bare parts of nature, with people sometimes pruning their branches and providing support.

Natsuko Echizen dives deep into her own imagination and weaves stories from her everyday experiences. Her stories emerge as a paradise that liberates diverse individuals and celebrates their lives.