Ayaka Asano
Dandelion In The Water
20x20 cm
Etching print with hand coloured monotype
Edition of 10
2025
Dandelion in the Water (2025) beautifully re-imagines the common spring flower that grows at the artist’s feet. Desiring to give these ordinary dandelions a lighter, almost floating atmosphere, Asano envisions them thriving in an underwater landscape. This piece is also a reflection of her curiosity in archiving language; it was during this work that she first discovered the specific, powerful Japanese Kanji characters (蒲公英) used to write 'dandelion', transforming the visual and linguistic ordinary into something quietly precious.
This re-imagined botanical scene is contained within one of Asano’s signature, irregular intaglio silhouettes. Within this gem-like form, delicate etched lines define a tangle of dandelions, their bright yellow blossoms contrasting with soft washes of watery blue and pale green watercolour that create the fluid environment. The seed heads and micro-flora are represented as mossy green and yellow textures, appearing to float with buoyant grace.
Because of this hand-painted monotype process, the physical print is beautifully fragile. The sharp intaglio lines anchor the composition, whilst the washes of transparent watercolour give the piece a soft, luminous quality, meaning each individual print in the edition possesses its own unique tonal variations.
