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• Artist
  Gypsy Pennefeather
• Title
  Washing Work
• Date of Production
• Medium
  inkjet print, watercolour and ink on watercolour paper
• Dimensions
• Credit Details

Gypsy Pennefeather: Joyful Harmony - yorokobi chouwa

This exhibition explores aspects of Japanese daily life in a series of painted photographs in a technique invented by the artist, drawing on her love of Japanese wood block prints, Ukiyo-e, but using contemporary materials.

Gypsy Pennefeather has long been fascinated by Japanese art and culture and has modelled her work on masters of Japanese art -  Hiroshige, Hokusai, Utamaro, Kuniyoshi, Sharaku. Her early copying of their work has been the basis of her photography, painting and drawing. It is evidenced by a love of line, colour, diagonals, people doing everyday things and in the details of their tools of trade, clothing and collections of objects.

The works in this exhibition were produced after the artist visited Japan for the first time in 2007. In them she aims to show the amazing and harmonious culture of Japan in modern times.

The photographs which are basis for the works have been enhanced, deconstructed, then printed onto heavy watercolour paper. The artist then draws lines with a waterproof ink pen and finally applies watercolour paint.

The titles were selected with considerable assistance from Hiroko Tokunaga of Japan to ensure the correct interpretation of each image and of each word.