Ayaka Asano 浅野綾花

Born in Shizuoka, in the shadow of Mount Fuji, Ayaka Asano captures intimate, fleeting moments and transforms them into tiny, cherished objects. Her practice is rooted in the experience of living with things we cannot hold onto — a habit of documentation that began with her junior high school diaries.

Drawing from her childhood in the Japanese countryside, her work frequently depicts mountains, rice fields, and wild botanicals. These natural elements are woven together with the residue of everyday life. Unable to discard ordinary scraps, memos, and fragments of daily words, Asano collects these small remnants and places them at the centre of her work — transforming the overlooked into something quietly precious.

Working in copperplate etching, a technique she honed at the Osaka University of Arts, Asano works on a miniature scale, creating prints with unusual, gem-like silhouettes. Each piece carries a deeply personal, tactile quality — subtle hand-painted colour, hand-knit lace, or delicate paper frames made in collaboration with the artist Eryngii. Often incorporating recycled materials, her prints are designed to be held and admired up close, inviting the viewer to discover the quiet story within each one.

Since 2011, Asano has exhibited extensively across Asia, with shows in Osaka, Seoul, Busan, and Taichung, and has received numerous awards for her delicate, narrative-driven printmaking.