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The original Obi
Pastel Bamboo Grove
淡い色彩の竹
On this obi, tall and slender bamboo stalks seem to sway gently, their movement echoed by maple leaves drifting among them. The motif is intentionally slightly abstract: it is unclear whether the maple leaves, resembling small pink stars, still cling to the branches or rest on the forest floor. Probably both.
I was drawn to this obi for its subtle and nuanced colours. The bamboo is rendered in a delicate gradation, shifting from pale grey-blue to warm yellow-green. These are hues one only notices after spending time in bamboo groves, observing how light changes with the seasons and the hours of the day. I imagine the artist knew these landscapes intimately.
The maple leaves are not depicted in their usual warm reds, but in a soft, dusty range of pinks, almost giving them the appearance of blossoms. In a way, isn’t that what autumn is? Trees putting on a final, radiant display, pretending to bloom, before quietly surrendering to winter.
