Tiny universes _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

“Inside each being, there is a small world and a story”, Wellington-based Japanese artist Yae Takahashi says. “When I observe the forms and movements of living things, and the rhythms and connections hidden within, I sense layers overlapping like patterns, shaping the Earth itself”.

Her work connects to the Japanese concept of otogi, or stories that exist in everyday life.

“Just as there are always stories in our own lives, I believe that animals, nature, and even unseen energies are never in a fixed state but are constantly changing, and within that change, there are stories too,” Takahashi explains. “Like fractals, similar patterns unfold on both micro and macro levels, and I feel that together they shape the Earth.”

Influenced by the traditional colours and motifs of both Japan and Aotearoa and fascinated by pieces that seem simple at first but reveal unexpected details upon closer examination, her work expresses the hidden connections and harmony of life through simplified forms and patterned designs of animals, plants, and natural elements.

Her solo exhibition The Art of OTOGI at Thistle Hall from the 23^rd to the 28^th of September explores otogi through the delicate balance between boldness and subtlety, inviting viewers into these layered worlds to offer them a moment to pause and step into the gentle narratives within nature.

“I focus on a single small scene from a story in each of my works”, Takahashi says. “Otogi stories are the fairytales I grew up hearing as a matter of course in Japan. Though often unseen, I gently capture these otogi-like moments – delicate landscapes that quietly exist all around us”.