Painting

PAINTINGS

(ORIGINAL Pieces and PRINTS available)
WEBSHOP

- Patterns of Memory -

Momoca works with translucent paper for its delicate, uncertain, yet flexible quality, a similarity she experiences
in her travels - seeing through what is in front of her, guessing at what is underneath, and imagining what is real and what is illusion.

In this exhibition, she experiments with LetterPress printing on translucent paper, layering and patching gouache painting that interprets the patterns and colors she has observed in temples, forts, gardens, and indigenous crafts during her travels. Her artwork is a way for her to digest and reflect on her memories of traveling, which combine, overlap, and fade over time, becoming
patterns of memory.
(Exhibition at The Crown, Oakland, California 2019)

Bows and Arrows
14 x 18 inched
(Original piece available)

Flying Carpet
14 x 18 inched
(Original piece available)

Dancing in The Light
14 x 18 inch
SOLD

Mixed Crowd
16 x 20 inch
(Original piece available)

Patterns of Memory
16 x 20 inch
(Original piece available)

Hanging Amulets
14 x 18 inch
(Original piece available)

HATS, HANDS & HEARTS
- Momoca reflects on her travels through paper transformed -

Travelling is my passion. Hats, Hands & Hearts play a big part of my journey.

Hats : I was a hat designer for many years and still love wearing and observing hats when I travel.
Hats are such a personal statement, and they can silently express real cultural identity.

Hands : Hand motif rings on my fingers are my amulets of protection and guidance.
Many cultures use hands as a symbol of holiness; I have seen them in jewelry and amulets all around the world. Hands produce crafts, play music and express tenderness; they remind me of the love of humanity I experience when traveling.

Hearts : I was touched by the many people on my trips who showed me caring and generosity.
New friends were the gifts of my journey.

For this exhibition, I experimented with letterpress prints on various textured papers, and then cut and sewed to create paper hats. Each piece tells a story about actual people I met or saw.

(Exhibition at Erica Tanov, Berkeley California 2019)

SOLD
(Print available)

Le Comptoir Général : Paris, France

Paris has been my most visited city, one of my favorite destinations. My friend Naomi took me out to Le Comptoir Général and it quickly became my go-to place in Paris. I watched the football Euro cup semi final match (France vs Portugal) there; I love to go there to dance, and I enjoyed the coffee served by an Egyptian barista who treated me to a free mocha because of my name.

Le Comptoir Général has an African theme and it feels a bit wild and tropical, full of lush plants. It's a cafe, a bar, weekend brunch and a dance hall, where stylish people gather alongside tourists who love the ambiance.
There I saw an old tin vintage barbershop sign featuring French-African hairstyles as a display. All their fascinating hairstyles looked like sculpture or a couture hat to me.

14 x 18 inch
(Original piece and Print available)

A Gnawa Dancer : Essaouira, Morocco

When travelling in Morocco for over a month, this was my first destination. As soon as I landed in Marrakech I caught a bus to Essaouira. The sights flew by. Soon I would join in the crowd, once my long ride was over. My heart skipped a beat to know I was in the land of things unknown, for me a mystical place I had long dreamt of.
Essaouira was mysterious, more hidden than the any of the other 5 cities I had visited. Walking the narrow streets of the Medina (the old Arab city) right by the ocean was a transcendent experience. I became uneasy in this maze of passageways, only 3 feet wide. As I walked the ground laid out before me, I had to remember my every step.

Emerging from the maze, I saw a group of young male Gnawa dancers in the square playing their spiritual religious music, singing and dancing in traditional bright gowns and pointy Moroccan slippers. One of the boys wore a seashell decorated hat with a tassel that spun around his head as he danced. A fascinating movement kept the tassel in motion.

SOLD
(Print available)

COMMISSIONED

A Bride : Rovinj, Croatia

On our driving trip from Cannes, France to Sarajevo Bosnia, we made a stop at an old small port town called Rovinj, close to Italy. We arrived late at night. The next morning I woke up and threw open the window to see the red rooftops of houses by the sea. I strolled the narrow cobblestone streets while my friends were having a late breakfast and I came upon plates full of pretty cookies on a table outside. I admired them, but knew this was not a cookie shop! While I stood there wondering if I could take a taste, a long line of nicely dressed people walked by and then -- the bride. These were cookies to welcome the wedding guests. It was a sweet and lovely moment .

SOLD
(Print available)

COMMISSIONED

A Boy in Chamula : Chiapas, Mexico

I experienced other parts of Mexico to be friendly and welcoming, but the mountain town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, and nearby villages of Chamula were something different. The mens’ straw hats, decorated with colorful ribbons, caught my eye. But the traditional vests for the men and skirts for women were made with thick sheep hair and looked heavy and dark. So too the energy of the place felt dark and introverted. This contrast between Mexico’s vibrancy and San Cristobal’s darkness is my strongest impression of this land.

A mother asked to take a photograph of me with her son. That’s when my heart felt warm and welcomed.

14 x 18 inch
(Original piece and Prints available)

Ayasofya : Istanbul, Turkey

Ayasofya was the first place I felt how the strong Greek Orthodox tradition and iconography melded with black and gold Arabic motifs of the mosque. The sheer scale and luxury of the mosque was incredible; it affected how I saw the whole city of Istanbul. The woman depicted wore a religious black Hijab but I imagined that under her gown her lingerie is sexy. I decided to put her feminine energy on her outside surface.

SOLD

Chai Man - Bhuj Gujarat, India

It is my observation that the majority of people who hang out at outside chai spots are men. I sat amongst them all, drinking. I followed a local tradition: the chai is served in a small cup, and then poured into the saucer for drinking.
On my way home from the vegetable market and chai, I caught a taxi-bus (an open-air truck) where cows and people equally share the road. There I saw a man who had been drinking chai with me earlier. He was dressed in a holy pinkish orange cloth. We noticed each other but could not communicate. We did not smile at each other, but our eyes spoke... saying hello again... and good-bye.

14 x 18 inch
(Original piece available)

Curious Woman : The World is Her Home

She is curious to see the world from her unique perspective. Her footsteps are light. Her hands wave lightly like feathers to fly to faraway places. She feels like she is time-travelling while on her journey. Her portrait sits on a hand of guidance and protection.

Rosary
SOLD

Early Morning in Mumbai
14 x 18 inch
(Original piece available)

Masquerade
SOLD

Open Pomegranate
12 x 15 inch
(Original piece available)

Hands Gathering
SOLD
(Print available)

Wedding in Ahmedabad
12 x 15 inch
(Original piece available)

Pinchbeck Necklace
12 x 15 inch
(Original piece available)

Hamsa Garden A
SOLD

Hamsa Garden B
12 x 15 inch
(Original piece available)

Flowers of The Moon

- If Usagi is on the moon, it may be in the flower garden -
〜　もし、うさぎがお月様にいるのであれば... きっと... それは... お花畑でしょう　〜

(Exhibition at Dessin, Tokyo 2018)