“I see my painted world as a forest, and each painting is showing a small corner of the forest,” says artist Chie Yoshii. “These paintings are just different parts of the same forest in my mind.”

The Lady with Iberian Lynxes, oil on linen, 24 x 18"

 

Yoshii’s mystical forest is inhabited by women in all of their archetypal perfection as warriors, goddesses, queens,  maidens and mythical creatures, their creamy skinned beauty heightened by a saturated jewel-toned palette. Each figure conveys an aspect of the complex and often dualistic qualities of the feminine—ferocity, tenderness, strength, vulnerability, nurturing, innocence and impenetrable mystery. All of these women have an hypnotic effect on the creatures of the natural world, birds, butterflies and beasts. 

At first Yoshii didn’t know why she was attracted to painting such subject matter. “I knew I was inspired by myth,” says the artist, who was born in Japan and currently resides in Pasadena, California. “That interest led me to Joseph Campbell, and his writing led me to Jung’s theory of  the ‘collective unconscious.’ I felt it explained why I painted what I painted.

Morana with Amur Leopards, oil on linen, 20 x 16"

 

“The collective unconscious is where archetypes live, and it is inherited and universal. We all share this layer,” she explains. “Jung says, ‘Mythology is filled with symbols that resonate with our mind, because mythology itself was inspired by archetypes in our collective unconscious.’ This theory rang true to me and matched with my experience of creating paintings.”

For Yoshii, the idea for a painting emerges as an image from the darkness of her mind. She starts by composing the visual image presented to her, and the concept behind it reveals itself later.

Athena, oil on wood panel, 24 x 12"

 

The Guardian of the Forest, oil on linen, 30 x 22"

 

“I like to work in this way, because I believe my unconscious mind knows better than my conscious mind,” she says. “I let the images lead me, and I believe that means I’m letting the unconsciousness guide me.”

Her paintings are rife with symbolism. In The Blue Bird, a red-tressed beauty and the black kitten she holds are enraptured by a cobalt-colored bird perched on the finger of her uplifted hand. “The blue bird is a symbol of hope,” Yoshii explains. “The black cat represents the doubt or hesitation to believe in the hope. The painting is about the moment of decision making.”

The Blue Bird, oil on linen, 18 x 14"

 

The Lady with Iberian Lynxes plays with the symbolism of the Madonna as the ultimate nurturer, but Yoshii has replaced the Christ figure with two of the world’s most endangered feline species. Morana with Amur Leopards is in the same vein. Morana, an ancient Slavic pagan goddess associated with winter’s death, rebirth and dreams, holds another critically endangered wild cat protectively in her arms.

Yoshii’s work is informed by the brilliant colors used by Raphael, Gustave Moreau and the Flemish painters, and the dramatic chiaroscuro of Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and Ingres. She also draws from the flatness of traditional Japanese paintings and prints, and makes sure her compositions work as a two-dimensional image before creating a three-dimensional space.

White Dragon, oil on linen, 16 x 12"

 

“I also love Buddhist statues, especially of guardian gods and Asura,” she says. “Their beauty with strong presence captivates me. They are utterly still, yet filled with movements. The word, ‘eternal moment’ which I always aim to create in my paintings, fits them very well. I always try to create paintings with that kind of strong, beautiful presence that embodies contradictions such as stillness and movement, and moment and eternity. I want to create a beautiful ‘eternal moment’ that can create a feeling of awe. The creative process gives me the sense of selflessness that makes me feel I am just a part of something bigger.”

Yoshii’s latest solo exhibition Sanctuary, featuring eight new paintings and five drawings, is on view at KP Projects in Los Angeles through November 30. The exhibition coincides with the publication of a book on Yoshii’s work called Dreams. —

KP Projects 
633 N. La Brea Avenue, Suite 104 • Los Angeles, CA 90036 • (323) 933-4408 • www.kpprojectsgallery.net

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