Utamaro and Hokusai have always been a big influence on me, and that led me to start incorporating fans into these watercolors. In Japanese prints, fans show up all the time: they’re functional, but also compositional, a way to frame the body or shift the space in a subtle way.

For me, they became something to play with. They break up the image, create movement, and add another layer without overcomplicating things. It’s a simple object, but it opens up a lot.