Lishanu - haiga : Origa

Lishanu • an interlingual haikai journal
Autumn 2005 • Issue 1

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Origa, Michigan, USA

As a sumi-e artist, I strive to convey the core of the object, and to invoke in the viewer a feeling of "being that object." It's similar to haiku. As in haiku, whatever sumi-e painting fails to contain has been purposely omitted. It is a question of the artist's judgment and taste as to what shall be painted and what best left out. There is no photographic accuracy or distracting details. I try to paint what I feel rather than what I see -- but after I at first try to see very distinctly. It is my impression as an artist, which I strive to express in my work. Being an ardent lover of nature, I always try to closely observe nature's changing mood, and convey it into my art and haiku by incessant and careful study. It is, after all, the biggest and happiest part of my life.

I usually paint on handmade rice paper, but sometimes, mostly for special purposes, card paper is used. Beside sumi ink, I use Chinese color chips -- natural pigments, for adding color where it is needed. Generally speaking, color is added sparingly in sumi-e. When the painting is done on rice paper, it's always mounted on thicker rice paper, otherwise it looks wrinkled since rice paper is very absorbent. All haiku are handwritten by myself, sometimes with a calligraphy brush, other times with a pen.

Origa (Olga Hooper) is a native of Siberia, Russia. Origa studies and works in many Japanese traditional art genres including sumi-e, haiku, haibun, haiga, ikebana and ceramic painting. She has won many awards for her works and is widely published, including a featured portfolio of traditional haiga in the 2004 World Haiku Review. She has two websites, Kankodori, and Origa's Live Journal.

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