THE MOTOKO STORY
“My passion for art goes back as far as I have memory,” she recalls. Despite that passion, Motoko was persuaded to pursue a practical college education and became a dietician.
She emigrated from Japan to Canada in 1992 and settled in Pender Harbour on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. It was then that she began her journey as an artist.
After studying art for four years through workshops, mentorship, and independent learning, she began creating and selling her art professionally. Achieving early success, she sold her representational artwork through commercial art galleries in both Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver area as well as nationally and internationally. Soon, originals and reproductions of her works were in demand.
However, her need to personally meet and interact with customers and art-lovers, led to the opening of her own gallery, Motoko’s Original Art, in 2005. At that time she also moved from representational to abstract painting, something she had always wanted to do. The 2,200 square foot gallery encompasses two levels of elegance and tranquility.
Today, the Japanese concepts of “yasuragi”, “iyashi” and “kokoro” are fundamental to her whole being. Through her passion for art, she blends these concepts together to evoke a sense of peacefulness, tranquility and healing that touches the mind and soul of the viewer and generates calm, positive energy.
Ultimately, Motoko’s goal is to create art that evokes emotions and feelings and generates positive energy and harmony within viewers. She wants to create pieces that people wish to have in their daily lives and which brings them joy and happiness.
Jounetsu: Passion, an energy and deep emotion which connects me to my art.
Yasuragi: Calmness, relaxation, tranquility and a sense of peacefulness. In the Japanese culture, Yasuragi is universally valued in everything from the tea ceremony to the game of ‘Go’.
Iyashi: Healing. It can be used as the root of words describing the healing nature of things, such as healing therapy and healing art.
Kokoro: An important Japanese word that contains multiple layers of meaning relating to the mind, heart and soul or spirit.
Originally from Japan, I am strongly influenced by my Japanese cultural background, as well as the natural beauty of British Columbia’s west coast where I now live. The Japanese concepts of “jounetsu”, “yasuragi”, “iyashi” and “kokoro” are fundamental to my whole being. Through my passion for art, I try to blend these concepts together to evoke a sense of peacefulness, tranquility and healing that touches the mind and soul of the viewer.
~ Motoko