When I saw the last patterns of the mangoes with blue gradient for my set Maki-e Series: Koi Summer 2024, they took my breath away. The blue was so perfect, just blue enough to be visible. They were a perfect canvas for our little koi and lotus motifs.
These handles are thin and very curvy and it is a delicate process to apply the Maki-e details on them. Then you really understand how skillful the craftsmen who make these brushes are. We had to limit the design and channel the inspiration to only two elements. And since there are 4 brushes in the game, Maki-e’s work had to be done 4 times. It makes this set quite challenging, but it’s worth it. I find it fascinating to watch these mangoes together.
Beautylish asked me why I chose the koi fish and lotus flower motifs for these mangoes, and I told them that it was a long story (several interconnected memories triggered my inspiration — but they said they would like to know about it and it would be fun to share the story with all of you.
About the Koi and the Lotus
I love Japan. I love working with craftsmen and spending time with them. In many ways, craftsmen remind me of my grandparents. When I see the craftsmen talking, smiling or working, I feel the same sincerity and gratitude.
he was raised by my grandparents in Spain until the age of 11, while my parents worked in Switzerland. My grandparents were loving, funny and incredibly strong. They were also inseparable and always joked with each other. In fact, I have never seen another couple of this generation behave the way they did, and at that time I did not know how lucky I was to grow up with them!
They had to work extremely hard, lived in extremely poor conditions and still always looked very happy! My grandfather used to say: “What you can do today, you will not leave until tomorrow!!!”. If there were any obstacles, I would find a way to overcome them. He was just amazing. Even when he was attacked, he fought back – at the age of 85!
While I was living with them, I was always sick. They took me to many doctors, but they could not find the cause of my condition. Many years after I left Spain, my grandparents found out that it was because the water was contaminated. We lived too far away from everything, so we didn’t have a system with running water. Without knowing it, I drank non-potable water for several years.
This means that I missed school very much, so my grandfather taught me how to read, how to write, how to make toys, tools and everything else we needed, because there was no other way. I cherish my memories and I think this way of growing up contributes to the work I am doing today. I am so grateful to be able to spend 11 years of my life with you.
The koi is for my grandfather. Koi symbolize strength and courage, and they always remind me of him.
The lotus is for my grandmother. Among other things, lotus flowers symbolize strength and purity. And fittingly, his name was purification (the act of purification).
These brushes are also reminiscent of my first experiences in Kumano. I have been traveling to Japan regularly since 2013. I was very worried at first because it was completely different and it was not easy to get from A to B without getting lost; my navigation skills were a mess and the navigation tools were not the same then as they are today. I got lost in Kumano a couple of times!
A beautiful garden with koi in Tokyo, 2014. Photo courtesy of Sonia G.
But when I wandered around, I could really appreciate the beauty that surrounded me. There are a lot of flowers and ponds in Kumano, and I love looking at them while walking; that’s probably what makes me get lost in the first place. The view of the ponds (and koi swimming) has the power to calm me down immediately. It’s a ritual, and if I’m scared on my travels, I go to a garden and sit by a pond.
