HOW I DRAW – Hiroe Saeki
I am attracted by the lightheartedness of drawing. I find inspiration in nature and the landscape, but I am not self-consciously processing or referencing traditional Japanese paintings when I draw. I sympathise when a Japanese sensibility in terms of an aesthetic approach towards nature – I think it would be a pity if this were lost. The centre of my work is very quiet. I’m trying to deliver as much as possible with very little. For me, the difference between figuration and abstraction is not that important.
I never learned how to draw - It happened naturally.
When the opportunities to show my work increased, I started to draw more and more. I use a mechanical pencil, colour pencils, acrylic and ink.
When I start with a new work, I first take a good look at the white paper then I compose as I draw. For instance, I set out with the intention of using four panels and suddenly it becomes three. By using several panels, there is more freedom to compose. I have to be prepared to catch an image while producing a new work.
Hiroe Saeki was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1978
The Guardian & Observer guide to Drawing
September 2009