Japanese artist Masako Whitehouse began her career as a potter but gradually moved into painting full time. Her work is inspired by the world around her and she hopes to portray tranquillity and stillness in her paintings which is evident in her delicate and sensitive studies of flowers and other subjects. Masako has been in the UK for nearly 40 years and lives in North Cornwall.

“I go to the studio as often as I can. I draw, paint, scrape, scratch, paint again, put more layers on top and often destroy the whole thing. I repeat this process all day long. I go home totally exhausted. It’s a lot to do with stamina. I ask myself why I do this. It is because I love to be in the studio. This place is my sanctuary. The subject matter varies but my focus remains the same. I see animals in the distance or flowers in the room and then I see the space around them. Every single thing has its own unique existence. Simple objects often possess more beauty than we think and stillness holds many secrets.”