As the Japanese painter’s artworks go on show in London, we explore the poetic and spiritual background of her beautiful work.

There’s something uniquely evocative about Japanese art that strikes right at the soul, and here’s a great example. The paintings of Ryoko Kaneta celebrate nature’s ephemerality, emphasise the frailty of time and explore the dramatic seasonality of weather, all in one emotional fell swoop that instantly takes your breath away.

Ryoko was born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1991 and graduated from Yokohama University of Art and Design in 2014. As you may have guessed, her work takes inspiration from ancient Japanese philosophies, including the idea that ‘God is one who dwells in all beings’.

Her artworks express the existence of Gods, natural phenomena, and knowledge beyond the human mind. If there’s a narrative, it’s a fleeting one, based around the ever-changing spectacle of nature, personified through a female figure.

Employing her very own soft, delicate acrylic colour technique, Ryoko is at the same time influenced by Rinpa and Kano Schools in their approach to painting through the eye of ancient Japanese literature.

Now her solo show Snow in the Summer has come to London’s Dorothy Circus Gallery. This extraordinary artistic testament examines the bittersweet scenario of environmental crisis and climate change through enchanting landscapes.

Refined and spiritual

Composed of 13 acrylic paintings on canvas, Ryoko’s new exhibition represents an artistically powerful and contemporary body of work. Through her refined and deeply spiritual poetics, inspired by ancient Japanese philosophies, the artist highlights a growing concern for our planet and its fragility.

Nature has always been at the centre of the artist’s work, but now more than ever, her pieces confront us with the reality of humanity, often indifferent to the devastation it causes, ignoring natural needs and rhythms. Ryoko’s sensitivity is reflected in her personification of nature, depicted as mountains and waves with gentle, yet sometimes angry, eyes that gaze at us with a tinge of sadness.

Through her art, Ryoko invites us to reflect on our collective responsibility to preserve and protect the planet we call home. The paintings, from a perspective that seems to watch over us from above, reveal the fragile beauty of the natural world and confront us with the consequences of our irresponsible actions.

Not by chance has The Dorothy Circus Gallery chosen to showcase Snow in The Summer in this present season. Not only does it offer an exciting artistic experience but above all, it aims to stimulate deep reflection as we approach our summer travels, urging us to consider our choices and our impact on the environment.

Snow in the Summer is open to the public at the Dorothy Circus Gallery in London, located at 35 Connaught Street, W2 2AZ, until 31 July.

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