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梅雨 | Tsuyu
 
Tsuyu means rainy season in Japanese and it could be called Japan’s fifth season as it is a significant weather event there every year. The rainy season occurs within the months of May, June and July amidst the summer heat and humidity.
 
The kanji for the word tsuyu in Japanese combines the characters of ume (梅) ‘plum’ and ame (雨) ‘rain’ together. In the olden days in Japan, it was said that people would know the rainy season was going to start once the ume fruit were ripe on the trees during May and June. The ōgi folding fan in the painting is one that Amy’s mother owns, and it depicts ume flowers on it.
 
Ajisai (hydrangea) flowers thrive in the rainy season, blooming in beautiful gradients of blues, purples, whites and pinks. They are a native flower to Japan and the colours of the flowers can change depending on the acidity of the soil they grow in.
 
This painting was made for the Curate Me exhibition at PG Gallery in 2021. It was inspired by Gretchen Albrecht’s work Changes/Span
 in the Ara Art Collection in Ōtautahi Christchurch.