Speaking of … ☼5

… finding things a bit later

From an interview with Chikabo Kumada (what a cool name), “97 year old botanical art maestro” in Pingmag Make. (Image above also from Pingmag Make)

… “I hit the renaissance of my life when I turned seventy. That was when I really bloomed. Up until then it was like I had been like living in muddy water. (laughs) When I turned seventy, my works received recognition at an international picture book exhibition in Bologna, I got a lot of press and requests to speak publicly, and I got more work. When Italians and French people see my work, they say, “Mr. Kumada’s pictures are alive. The esprit is like that of Fabre.” Isn’t that nice? So my 80s were really like the bloom of youth for me. But when you reach such an age, you could really die at any moment. So I felt that it was important that I didn’t miss anything, and I took another close look around my garden. And that was when I realized I was able to see things in flowers and leaves that I hadn’t been able to see before, and my work got more detailed. Now when I look at the work I did when I was younger, it’s so amateurish that it embarrasses me. Most people rest on their laurels once they get into their seventies, but that was when life really started for me. (laughs)” …

p.s I hope this isn’t considered cheating! It’s been too long, my pockets are still empty, I felt like I must bring something quickly, and then I met this extraordinary man on my afternoon internet travels!