Audrey Kawasaki

"Mayakashi"　まやかし deception by Audrey Kawasaki
12"x12" oil and graphite on wood.
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Just found her via Stumble Upon, and I must admit that she is so amazing. Due to sewing datelines, I almost forget about my other hobby : painting. And here comes Audrey Kawasaki to enligthen me.

From her bio : "The themes in Audrey Kawasaki's work are contradictions within themselves. Her work is both innocent and erotic. Each subject is attractive yet disturbing. Audrey's precise technical style is at once influenced by both manga comics and Art Nouveau. Her sharp graphic imagery is combined with the natural grain of the wood panels she paints on, bringing an unexpected warmth to enigmatic subject matter."

At first, I thought "wow !! How did she make all that grainy & woody effects on her paintings?" And then I'm more excited when I read that she doesn't paint on ordinary canvas. She paints on wood panels. This painting technique makes every of her paintings has a dreamy and airy

Flutter Away by Audrey Kawasaki
oil and graphite on wood panel 16"x19"
Hi-Fructose 5th Anniversary Group show @ Copro Gallery, 2010
Source : here and here

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She also makes felt dolls !! Not just ordinary felt dolls, because she mixes the felt with painted canvas to make the dolls' face & hands. I think they are a little bit creepy and weird for the first time, but stunning and exceptional artworks must be once considered as weird, aren't they?

Felt Dolls by Audrey Kawasaki
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And the best regret is that I missed this wooden brooch !! Arrghh

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If you want to know more about her, you can visit these links :
Audrey Kawasaki's official website : www.audrey-kawasaki.com
Audrey's journal : Okonomide (http://i-seldom-do.livejournal.com/)
Another Audrey;s journal : Kimagure Gaki (http://baibai-matane.livejournal.com/)
Audrey Kawasaki's Twitter Account : http://twitter.com/audreykawasaki/