Mio Asahi | Stories in the Wind
EXHIBITION: March 6 - April 26
OPENING: First Thursday, March 6, 6-8pm
View Exhibition Preview here
Mio Asahi, The Wind Dragon Ⅱ (風の竜Ⅱ). Etching and aquatint.
Davidson Galleries is pleased to present Stories in the Wind, opening Thursday March 6th. This exhibition features new etchings from contemporary Japanese artist, Mio Asahi. Asahi continues to build her universe with fantastical stories of travelers, fire-breathing birds, and blue moons that showcase community and creative expression. We enter a completely original world to find universal joys like home, exploration, empowerment, and friendship.
Mio Asahi, A Woman Blowing a Flute and the Dragon Singing (笛吹人と歌う竜). Etching and aquatint.
The wind is an unseen force that powers movement and life in Asahi’s world. Wind gives flight to dragons and boats that sail in the sky. Wind is the material that women use for knitting, and it carries sweet fragrances throughout the land. Wind curls the swirling clouds and lifts the spiraling waves.
Wind moves through a land that is powerful and unified. Strong women are often the central figures of the scene, riding on dragons, birds, and flying fish. Even while standing in powerful postures, the women and creatures are cooperating; their strengths are shared and no one is dominated. Legends can be reimagined in this way, where power is fueled not by fighting but by flying, by music and dance.
Mio Asahi, The Blue Town of Water Where Starfish are Flying (旅立つもの 見送るもの). Etching and aquatint.
“The mysterious creatures that appear in the works each have different appearances, but they have musical instruments rather than weapons, and live together without conflict. I would be happy if those who viewed the work could feel the music and hear the wind that the creatures do.” –Mio Asahi
Mio Asahi, Even if You Do Not Know Where You're Going... Etching and aquatint.
Mio Asahi (Japanese, b. 1957) was born in Osaka in 1957. She studied Painting and Printmaking at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. She has exhibited extensively internationally and in the US. Asahi is known for her blend of western and eastern influences, working primarily in the western printmaking process of etching with aquatint while drawing from Japanese patterns, compositions, and symbols. She creates tales of dragons, flying fish, travelers, and women warriors interacting with mythical moons, waters, and clouds. With influences from folklore, tapestry design, and musical tradition, Asahi has developed a fantastical world of her own, told one image at a time.
Featured artist: Mio Asahi
Mio Asahi | Stories in the Wind
EXHIBITION: March 6 - April 26, 2025
OPENING: First Thursday, March 6, 6-8 pm
View Exhibition Preview here