CELESTIAL OBSERVATIONS IN INDIGO

Celestial Observations in Indigo is a series of drawings that originates from Moon Almanac, a project created during the Covid-19 pandemic. Spanning 904 consecutive days, Moon Almanac comprises nightly observations of the moon translated into page-sized drawings on indigo-dyed paper. Each work is rendered in graphite and micronized silver, depicting the moon alongside astronomical and celestial events. In total, the almanac includes 1,347 drawings and a bilingual dictionary of 1,134 Japanese terms for the moon and related phenomena.

Celestial Observations in Indigo extends from this body of work, expanding the scale of the original drawings. The series presents larger compositions that register transient astronomical phenomena: eclipses, meteor radiants, and shifting lunar phases. Executed in indigo dye on washi paper, these works employ a medium that simultaneously embodies and measures time. Indigo becomes both material and chronometry, a natural clock encoded in color. As it interacts with the paper, the pigment gradually deepens, revealing the passage of time through increasingly darker layers. Lighter indigo represents moments and darker shades mark longer durations.