Not long ago, Satsuki Shibuya received an email that brought her to tears.
Sent by one of the Los Angeles artistβs collectors, the note explained thatΒ the author had gone through a miscarriageβand how a painting by Shibuya helped her process her grief. βThere was a painting that called out to her; she put it up in her space, and said that it really helped her through that dark period of her lifeβand that sheβs pregnant again,β Shibuya says via video from her home in Rancho Palos Verdes. βWhen I read that it really moved me: not the fact that I created it, but the fact that art can actually be that powerful for someone.β
In a post-pandemic world, where does art fit in? After two years of evaluating what βreally mattersβ to each of us, it could be tempting to cast it aside as frivolousβbut that would be doing art (and ourselves) a disservice. Because if we really get down to brass tacks, art is more important now than ever before. When we were stuck in our homes, when we were experiencing our collective grief, when we were uncertain about the future, art was one of the only places we could turn to for solace and escape. βIt saved me, I think,β Shibuya says, βmany, many times.β Whether it be in the form of books, music, television, or paintings, proper art isnβt the frills of lifeβitβs the guts. Art asks us to look at ourselves and to understand the world around us at the same time.
Itβs what makes Shibuyaβs work so poignant. With a background in music production and product design, she brings a multilayered approach to her paintings, which work with muted color palettes, soft and organic shapes, light yet expansive brush strokes, and grounding yet ethereal themes. Shibuya is also an energy reader, and lets a person or projectβs feeling guide her throughout the painting process.
βItβs almost like I tune into their radio station. And once I tune in, sometimes Iβll see actual footage as if Iβm watching movies, and sometimes Iβll see colors and shapes,β she explains. βA lot of times itβs just an energetic feeling: kind of like when you feel like summer is changing to fall and you smell it in the air, or that feeling when you fall in love.β Itβs a fluid, intuitive practise, and it informs everything from the colors she mixes together to the dots and lines of her brush.
This emotion-based work manifests itself in top form in Shibuyaβs recent collaboration with vitruvi. Special for Giving Tuesday, she hand-painted 10 Stone Diffusers using a mix of ceramic paint, wax crayon, and water-based colored pencil. AllΒ sales from the diffusers are being donated to Every Mother Counts: a charity founded by ChristyΒ Turlington Burns that provides women around the world with adequate, equitable, safe, and proper access to maternity care.
All 10 Stone Diffusers are uniquely painted, making each one a true collectorβs item. Demonstrating Shibuyaβs mastery of color, texture, breath, and movement, these works of art will fit seamlessly into any home.
βI wanted there to be a variety [in design], with the underlying idea of serenity and peaceβbut also connected back to oneβs own spirit while theyβre experiencing the diffuser,β she explains. βIβve always loved the idea of art being a part of someoneβs everyday.β
And thatβs just it: art as daily life. It shouldnβt be relegated to white cubes and stiff museumsβit should be weaved into our smallest moments.
βWe go through the daily motions, and thatβs why there needs to be a place where we can kind of rest and take a breather and enjoy things: good food or good company or good music,β Shibuya says. βSomething that makes us remember that thereβs so much beauty in the world. And I feel like thatβs where art fits in, is those moments where you need to take a break and realize that thereβs more beyond the daily grind of life. I want my art to have the power to let people remember what it means for them to be alive.β