The Crimson Crescent Moon There

Beniko Choji (born in Saitama Prefecture in 1991) graduated from the Department of Painting, Japanese Painting major, at Joshibi University of Art and Design in 2013. Using the human figure as her primary motif, she depicts the subtle presence of emotions and memories that waver within the human mind through the language of Nihonga. Within compositions characterized by the soft luminosity of mineral pigments and quiet expanses of space, her works do not narrate a fixed story; rather, they emerge as presences that are completed within the viewer’s own imagination. The artist believes that the warmth and sense of happiness people unconsciously seek are built upon layers of emotions experienced in the past. Her works attempt to capture the “gaps” where emotions arise, as well as the faint traces of feelings that exist before they become words. In addition to holding solo exhibitions at department stores and galleries across Japan, she has expanded her practice across multiple fields, including book cover design, music album artwork, stage visuals, and collaborations with fashion brands. In 2019, she received the Grand Prize at the 45th Commemorative Contemporary Children’s Art Exhibition.