About the Artwork
The key visual for EARTH was painted by artist UEDA, Shiho. Light spreading across the surface of water and petals loosening into the wind: it is a picture that holds on to a beauty from before it has been named.
When we first encountered this work, we were silent for a while. Pink and gold glimmer discreetly within the depth of the blue, changing expression with the angle from which it is seen. It felt as though the picture itself was breathing like water. We felt that EARTH’s cherished sense of the texture of life was already here.
Layering colour
We understand that UEDA’s process is not to complete a picture in one sitting, but to layer thin washes of colour again and again. Waiting for one layer to dry, then placing another. Through this repetition, colours appear that could not have been imagined at the start. It has something in common with the joy of chance that emerges through collaborative art with children.
Do not interrupt the artwork
When designing this website, the first thing we decided was not to interrupt the artwork. The type is fine and small; the colours do not imitate the picture, but stay with two tones: navy and pink. Through the frosted-glass panels, we want the presence of the artwork to remain in the background at all times. We want to protect, in every corner of the site, the fact that UEDA’s picture is the main character.