Chiho Iwase

​Studied Fine Art/Sculpture at Chelsea College of Art & Design after had training in drawing/ painting in Japan.

'My practice covers painting, drawing, sculpture, and illustration. I am currently working on pencil drawing and egg tempera painting with the ideas of animism. Using basic materials such as pencils, charcoals, and pigments with traditional binding agents, allows me to focus on depicting nature with sensitive observation and creative techniques.
My recent works capture anthropomorphised trees, clouds, and the moon depicted as playful nature spirits. I also combine images of myself or my body parts with natural phenomenon and that can make me express physical and mental relationship with nature. What I am trying to do here is exploring the harmony of nature and human beings that still exist in the modern society.
Since I had spent a month drawing nature in Haukijarvi, Finland, my consideration about animism has been increased. It gave me an opportunity to observe nature in animistic way as I realised that I could only open the doors of my perception when I feel I am a part of nature.
As I had grown up in Japan, the nature worship behind Japanese culture always influences my artwork directly and indirectly. Shinto, Japanese original religion, has full of animistic thoughts. The idea of non-human beings having souls is still found in everyday life in Japan and I believe that makes Japanese culture unique. Considering about animism is also an occasion to face modern environmental issues in different angles because the concept of animistic life indicates logical relationships between human and non-human beings although animism is generally considered to be naïve and scientifically not practical.
This idea is reflected in my current works that portray anthropomorphic nature. I am willing to develop my thoughts about this as it is the essential of my view and it would be a key to understand my origin and connection to nature'