28.5 × 28.5cm, 120 pages
Bilingual (JP・EN)
Aona Hayashi was born in Japan in 1989. In addition to working as an illustrator for magazines and advertising, she has also been active as a painter since 2016.
She has received attention in recent years. The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers magazine, which featured her work on the cover, won the 2024 D&AD Award.
Hayashi’s paintings are abstract and sumi ink-based. She moves her hands in an unconscious state to produce lively lines and simple shapes such as circles and triangles. Her works are described as “diagrams” rather than “pictures”. In other words, Hayashi does not imbue her works with any message. What is important is simply to look and feel. When confronting her works, our senses are liberated.
This anthology compiles past works from the solo exhibitions “Tenten” (2017), “BOTTLE, APPLE” (2018) and “CHROMONO” (2019). Additionally, the book features new works produced specifically for this publication.
A highlight of this anthology is its monochromatic printing by YPP. Typical monochromatic printing uses a single impression, but here three impressions are made with a triple black technique using black ink on each of the impressions.
By layering black ink on black on black, the power of actual sumi ink is produced. The touch of the paintbrush and the depth of sumi ink also faithfully reproduce the qualities of the original work. The cover is manually foil-stamped by a specialist artisan.
There’s no meaning in these figures
If one abandons one’s self
what remains behind are simple lines and circles and such
Without intention
Ardent movement takes place when hand meets paper
It’s like peering inward at the primitive origin of one’s being
――AONA HAYASHI
Author: Aona Hayashi
Publisher: Baci
Printed by: YAMADA PHOTO PROCESS, Japan
