Moeko Machida, The Dawn, 2023

Moeko MACHIDA is a Japanese artist based in Basel, Switzerland, exploring the interplay between human emotions and the forces of nature through painting. Raised by biologist parents, she developed a sensitivity to invisible life forces that shaped her approach. She earned a Master’s degree in Japanese painting at Kyoto City University of Arts in 2015, cultivating a meditative patience to observe her subjects and herself.
Influenced by Butoh dancer Masami Yurabe, she views the body as part of the phenomena surrounding life, a perspective reflected in her work.
She has exhibited in Japan, Europe, and the San Francisco Bay Area, with works held in numerous private collections. She also worked on a project with an architect, contributing sliding screen paintings for traditional Japanese houses, and exhibited in Hotel Granvia Osaka, gaining insights into the interplay between living spaces and art.

«I visualize the invisible presence of life, revealing through painting the essential existence inherent in nature and living beings. Inspired by stones, plants, flowers, shadows, and water, I enter into dialogue with these motifs through all my senses, allowing emotions and bodily memories to guide each work. My practice resonates with the East Asian concept of Qi Yun Sheng Dong (気韻生動), which seek to evokes the life force of natural forms onto the painting’s surface.
I also draw on Japanese painting approaches that honor the reality of each subject while leaving space for symbolism and interpretation, inviting reflections on life, death, and time. The layered textures of mineral pigments and tonal rhythms mirror the subtle movements of breath, body, and spirit, imbuing each work with Qi(気)̶the vital energy of life.
While rooted in East Asian values and techniques, my work remains open to viewers from diverse backgrounds. By exploring emotions, memory, and the essence of being alive, my paintings connect to universal themes of nature and existence. They act as mirrors that awaken dormant memories and emotions, existing not merely as decoration, but as “art that stays close,” accompanying life’s milestones and deepening in meaning over time.»

Preis SFr. 1600.–