Saori Ohwada

Saori Ohwada ● In 2012, she became interested in the ecology and vitality of trees, and was deeply moved by their vibrant presence and the expressions that only trees can possess, leading her to focus her artwork on trees. Currently, in addition to her works on trees, she continues to expand her collection by creating realistic paintings of plants such as cacti, succulents, and caudiciforms. www.instagram.com/saori_ohwada/

I want to continue creating artworks of plants that embody the vitality of life.

──How did you end up starting your career as an artist?

After graduating from a vocational school with a degree in design, I worked a design job during the day and painted when I got home. About four years ago, I decided to quit my day job and started working solely as an artist.


—You've been creating plant-based art pieces since 2012. What initially inspired you to start drawing them?

My family home is in Fukushima Prefecture, and I've always lived surrounded by trees, so they've always been a familiar presence to me. But the biggest factor was that I fell ill. After moving to Tokyo, I was struggling to figure out what kind of motifs only I could paint, which led to my health deteriorating and a month-long hospital stay. After being discharged, I rediscovered the preciousness of being able to breathe and the value of life. At that time, the first thing that piqued my interest was plants and trees. I was particularly captivated by trees the moment I saw them; they seemed to sparkle and shine. That's when I decided I wanted to express the vitality of trees through painting.



—What do you think is the appeal of your own work?

I don't consciously try to draw them that way, but people around me say that the detailed depiction of the bark patterns and leaf veins is incredibly realistic, and that they can feel the breath of life and vitality of the trees from it. I'm very happy to hear that, as I do put a lot of effort into realistic representation. Also, while I focus on realism for the bark and leaves, I draw the overall silhouette as my ideal form of "what I wish existed," so it's not exactly a coexistence of reality and fantasy, but personally, I think that's interesting too.


—What do you hope to convey through your work in the future?

I mainly paint rare plants, and I hope that people will learn that such plants exist in the world. I also want to pour my heart and soul into each painting, using realistic expressions that only I can create to convey the preciousness of the life force that trees possess. Just as I receive energy from plants, my ideal is to continue creating works that make people who see my paintings feel positive.

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