Fujio Kawagishi: 古い植物図鑑のような……

I pick up my brush and draw lines in the hope that even the most common of sights, things that people pass by without a second glance, will lead me to a simple beauty.
For me, this is a source of joy and is what motivates me to paint.

Fujio Kawagishi

I first became aware of Fujio Kawagishi’s work when it was featured in the 78th edition of the quarterly magazine, Ginka, published by Bunka Publishing Bureau.
Using fine lines, his paintings depicted plants seemed full of life and were quite beautiful.
Furthermore, when I looked at them, it felt as if I were looking at an old book of botanical illustrations…they had the same feel as the books produced by the botanist, Tomitaro Makino (1862–1957).
Even he does not understand how he does it, but his paintbrush possesses the mysterious ability to capture the very essence of the things he sees, and each line possesses a unique beauty.
He and his family live in sight of the Koishikawa Botanical Garden in central Tokyo. He quit his job in an office thirty-one years ago to dedicate himself to his art, and now enjoys a quiet, peaceful life that is quite the opposite of my roller-coaster lifestyle, but I feel strangely attracted to it.