Misaki Kawai makes our heart sing. Her work, iconically child-like in aesthetic, is soulful, instinctive, uplifting and dynamic. She was born in Japan to an architect father and a mother who had a penchant for sewing and puppets. It seems Misaki has gleaned from both of them and distilled down to some kind of amalgamation of their visual skills, albeit in her own unique and spectacular style. Now based in New York, her work has been shown around the world in highly reputable galleries and sought out by the masses.
Misaki Kawai creates paintings, sculptures and installations that are, essentially, reinterpretations of the everyday objects she surrounds herself with. Using her own unique vision, she recreates these objects in miniature worlds that are hyperactive, humorous and absurd. Explosions of saturated colours bring geometric shapes to life, and primary colour palettes instil abstract characters with insane personality. She leaves her work open to interpretation and use of imagination is encouraged, if not, essential to immersing yourself in her wonderful worlds.
Misaki has honed her psychedelic craft-art over years of travelling through the world, collecting handmade treasures from different cultures. Her finds left her greatly inspired, and led her to a path of preference for lo-fi, cheap, oft-overlooked materials. From traditional tibetan fabrics, to Nepali rice papers, and game cards from Beijing, Misaki uses these materials to inform her practice. It’s not unusual to see paper mache, wood, fabric, felt, stickers and yarn pop up in her own work, used in the most extraordinary ways.
We love that Misaki Kawai seems to have no time for rules or over-thinking. Her experimentation and pure sense of play, using art as an outlet to move the hands and engage with materials is truly inspiring.
Misaki Kawai can be found on Instagram, and you can see more of her work on her great website.
