Shaping The Body: building the Heritage and Stories of the Koto
Print and Publication
This project is a tribute to my mother, who played the koto in Japan from ages 3 to 18 and earned a certificate. It is s also a way to reconnect with my Japanese heritage, which I didn’t grow up fully knowing the culture and language. She didn’t want to share photos or her koto background, which led me to have the book focus on learning more about the instrument and exploring the stories of others.
Image Treatments
Programs Used: Photoshop
Before
Before
Before
Crane
After
After
Chrysanthemums
Maki-e Illustrations
Programs Used: Procreate
Butterfly
Photography
After
After
Photos of a koto from Sound of Asia (2146 S Hacienda Blvd, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745)
Before
Sakura
Camera Used: IPhone 16 Pro
Poster Series
Initial Directions
Refined Iterations
