I create embroidered works depicting fantastical underwater scenes and marine life using a technique I call “Levitating embroidery,” in which motifs appear to hover in space alongside their shadows. Drawing on the natural wavering of hand embroidery—a practice I began at the age of fourteen—I evoke the soft, flowing movement and vivid life found beneath the surface of the sea. By layering embroidery on sheer silk, I create a sense of depth, and by using not only thread but also traditional Japanese materials such as gofun (powdered oyster shell), metal leaf, and mineral pigments, I pursue the textures of marine creatures with greater realism.

Although science has advanced greatly in the modern era, I feel that opportunities to encounter the mysterious have diminished. Yet the ocean still yields bizarre and astonishing creatures that defy our imagination, even in the 21st century. Many of these organisms have forms and ways of life entirely unlike anything on land. I find inspiration in their strange and wondrous diversity, which stirs my imagination and compels me to continue depicting the underwater world.

Since 2022, I have been creating a series titled “浮遊刺繍藻魚図”（a series I call Levitating Embroidery Algae and Fish Paintings, inspired by the traditional Chinese and Japanese genre Sogyozu), inspired by seaweed—often referred to as the cradle of the sea. As I studied the tiny creatures that use seaweed as shelter or mimic it to survive, I began to explore broader ecological relationships based on “symbiosis” as a motif. Examples include fish that take refuge among coral and juvenile fish that grow while being protected by the stings of jellyfish. Today, the marine environment is undergoing rapid changes. Our world depends on biodiversity so intricate that if even one species disappears, the balance may collapse. Through embroidery, I hope to both learn and offer others a chance to notice and appreciate this hidden, interconnected world.

Embroidery has historically been a form of expression quietly handed down through the hands of women. In both science and the arts, women have often been placed at the margins, their contributions rendered invisible. Through this delicate handwork, I cherish a perspective that centers what is peripheral—bringing attention to the unseen mysteries of the sea and the lives within it.