Ayaka Asano
The Lookout At Night
20x20 cm
Etching print with hand coloured monotype
Edition of 10
2025
The Lookout at Night (2025) is a beautiful reflection of parenthood and imagination. Inspired by a daytime visit to an observatory in Kakogawa with her daughter, Asano captures the quiet longing of her current season of life. Standing under a cold midday sky—her weekend excursions now primarily limited to the daytime—the artist imagined the same view transformed by the night, a time she can no longer easily venture out to explore.
This wistful, imagined landscape is contained within one of Asano’s signature, gem-like intaglio silhouettes. A precise, etched representation of a vertical-railed balustrade—the lookout itself—is defined by meticulous line work in the lower section. The upper section suggests a rugged, stone outcrop dotted with delicate, star-like patterns. At the composition’s core lies a soft, glowing central light, a wash of luminous green-gold that holds the quiet, imagined view.
Because of this hand-painted monotype process, the physical print is beautifully fragile. The sharp intaglio lines anchor the composition, whilst the washes of green, lavender-grey, and ochre watercolour give the piece a soft, luminous quality, meaning each individual print in the edition possesses its own unique tonal variations.
