When I saw the final samples of the blue gradient handles for my Maki-e Series: Koi Summer 2024 set, they took my breath away. The blue was so perfect, just enough blue to be visible. They were a perfect canvas for our little koi and lotus motifs.
These handles are thin and very curvy and it’s a delicate process to apply the Maki-e details on them. That’s when you really understand just how skilled the artisans are who make these brushes. We needed to restrict the design and channel the inspiration to just two elements. And since there are 4 brushes in the set, the Maki-e work needed to be done 4 times. It makes this set quite challenging—but well worth it. I think it’s mesmerizing to see these handles together.
Beautylish asked me why I chose the koi fish and lotus flower motifs for these handles, and I told them that it was a long story—several interconnected memories sparked my inspiration—but they said they would love to hear about them and that it would be fun to share the story with you all.
About the koi and the lotus
I love Japan. I love working with the artisans and spending time with them. In many ways, the artisans remind me of my grandparents. When I see the artisans, talk, smile or work, I feel the same sincerity and gratitude.
I was raised by my grandparents in Spain until I was 11 years old, while my parents were working in Switzerland. My grandparents were caring, funny, and so insanely strong. They were also inseparable, always pranking each other. I actually never saw any other couples of that generation behaving the way they did, and I didn’t realize back then how lucky I was to grow up with them!
They had to work extremely hard, lived in extremely poor conditions and yet they always looked so happy! My grandfather used to say: “What you can do today, you don’t leave for tomorrow!!!”. If there was any obstacle, he would find a way through it. He was just unbelievable. Even when he got mugged, he fought back—at 85!
Whilst living with them, I was always sick. I was taken to so many doctors, but they couldn’t find the root cause of my condition. Many years after I left Spain, my grandparents found out it was because the water was contaminated. We lived too far away from everything so we didn’t have a system with running water. Without knowing it, I was drinking water that was not drinkable for several years.
This means that I missed school a lot, so my grandfather taught me to read, to write, how to create toys, tools, and anything else we needed because there was no other option. I treasure my memories and I think this way of growing up contributes to the work I do today. I am so grateful that I got to spend 11 years of my life with them.
The Koi is for my grandfather. Koi symbolize strength and courage, and they always remind me of him.
The Lotus is for my grandmother. Lotuses symbolize strength and purity, amongst other things. Although my grandmother wasn’t “pure”, her name was Purificación, (the act of purifying).
These brushes also evoke my first experiences in Kumano. I have been regularly traveling to Japan since 2013. I felt very anxious at the beginning because it was so different, and it wasn’t easy to go from A to B without getting lost – my navigation skills were a disaster and the navigation tools at the time were not the same as today. I got lost in Kumano quite a few times!
But wandering around allowed me to really take in the beauty surrounding me. There are many flowers and ponds in Kumano, and I love looking at them while walking—that’s probably what gets me lost in the first place. Looking at the ponds (and the koi swimming) has the power to instantly calm me down. It’s a ritual, and when I feel anxious during my trips, I go to a garden and sit beside a pond.
And last but not least, the designs celebrate my marriage. When I met my husband, 24 years ago, he had a pond with many fish (48, at some point) and also with lilies. It is quite unusual to have a pond at home here in Switzerland. The pond was just beside his bedroom window. It was the first thing I would see in the morning. I loved it so much.
This pond was filled with fish and lilies—not koi and lotus—but still, it was amazing. So many things happen in a pond! Somehow, watching my husband take care of a pond made me love him and trust him even more.
It’s such an honor to create something with such personal meaning to me that I can share with you. I love to think that as you use these brushes that we are connecting, and that they will help you create your own beautiful memories.
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