Ichigo, Ichie, Moment Hunters by Minkz

On a recent trip to Japan, Minkz fell in love with Japanese aesthetics and philosophy, and has been studying it ever since. She took a class in brush Calligraphy in Kyoto and was surprised by the amount of presence and energy she had to give to the process of creating every single letter. It felt as if each ink painting was in itself a journey, and whilst making it, her mind could not possibly be elsewhere. Each of these jaunts was slightly fraught with the knowledge that nothing could be erased or repeated, she simply had to be there and make her best mark to get to the other side. There was always beauty in the result, even if it was imperfect. (Wabi Sabi)

On further research, Minkz discovered “Ichigo, Ichie” which literally means “one time, one meeting” and can be traced back to 16th century Japanese tea ceremonies. Whatever we are experiencing right now will never happen again. We must treasure this moment or encounter and make the most of it.

Being a nomad by ancestry and in spirit, Minkz spends a lot of time travelling, and therefore in transitional spaces. These can sometimes be uncomfortable, as all change can be, but oftentimes exhilarating and surprising. Minkz is exploring the application of these concepts to life and to the way in which she makes her art. She investigates whether this idea of appreciating the present and searching for the beauty in the moment is a good antidote to our fastmoving world, where we are either trying to get to one destination or another, or perhaps dwelling too long in a past hurt or story. Ichigo Ichie. Let’s be Moment Hunters.

Minkz’ work is held in the James Wallace Arts Trust in New Zealand, and in private collections internationally.