Artist Yuriko Lochan explores the beautiful lotus as a motif symbolising power and spirituality

Japanese artist Yuriko Lochan is known for her meticulous use of traditional tools to rephrase her personal experiences pictorially. In her recent solo exhibition, ‘Lotus Odyssey’, she uses the lotus flower as a motif to symbolise power and spirituality.

On display are 39 works by the artist centred on lotus, using gouache and watercolour on Japanese Shikishi paper board. Talking about the show she says, “Each of my works represents different frames of mind, even though the lotus is the recurrent theme. When one sees a piece of art, they actually see another aspect of the artist.”

She continues, “The flower symbolises concepts related to the evolution of human life in many parts of the world. The lotus here imbibes the ancient connotations of purity and, most significantly, shakti. It symbolises the soul not touched by the dirt, rising above the impurity of the world. In the Japanese context, the lotus stands for different stages of life. I have always been fascinated with the flower’s nature as something that draws its beauty from the grossness of the mud and yet stands tall, oozing divinity. The human soul is just like that — uncontaminated with worldly affairs.”

Known as a sensitive landscapist who has adapted a traditional Japanese genre to suit her contemporary needs of expression, Yuriko’s works have detailing, depth, rhythm, space and division. The lines are delicate and flawless. The paintings present a brilliant combination of form and aestheticism, rendering a tactile element for the viewers. She revels in the Indian miniature elements and Japanese textural brushwork for their visual appeal and suggestive power. “It goes beyond that. I carry within me different art forms and traditions; one cannot narrow art down to one particular region,” she points out, adding, “I try to create a space for the co-existence of intricate details with broad, heavy brushwork. Art for me is an expansion outward into visual space, and simultaneously a journey within self.”

Her paintings are an amalgamation of her Japanese roots and the Indian landscape she had experienced and analysed over the years. “Within the limitations of media and materials, artists try to express spirituality in their works. The purpose of a painting is to touch a viewer in an inexplicable way. I observe how the human psyche is related to nature and how it manifests itself in different places.”

She uses tones of grey with yellow leaves and pale white lotuses signifying death in her ‘Divination’ series. The freshness takes centre-stage again in her ‘Fluid’ series, as it turns pinkish from green, and afterwards solemnly opens up to a full glory. She talks about the life and its reflection in her work ‘Full Circle’. Most of her paintings are an explanation of the artist’s interest in the beauty of nature, mulling over it and finally branch it into high images. She says, “Each series reflects the stages of personal observation in life. You will find a lot of coils and crescents in my works on the lotus. They stand for the fluidity of energy in physical space. The ‘Divination’ series is a meditation on the human anticipation of destiny while the ‘Fluid’ series is a mirror to the fluctuating mind and aspects of life that are in constant change. Hana, the flower, reflects the innocent soul as a blossoming flower.”

Yuriko compares the techniques used in these paintings to Indian miniature paintings. “I have lived in India for over three decades now, I am inspired by Indian art in many ways. I have also closely studied various forms like miniature art and tribal art. But, in terms of thickness of the colours, division of space and perspective, my paintings are different from Indian miniature paintings. Being aware of these technicalities helps in developing perspectives,” she concludes.