Yumi no ko - Chen Yi Wen

Yumi no ko (child of outstanding beauty) - Chen Yi Wen

"To Yumiko-san,

Well, here it is. I've read that you always wanted to be dressed, or at least drawn in a kimono, so here you go. Hope you like it as much as I have enjoyed drawing it. Believe me when I say that drawing it was the easy part. It was the looking for the designs that drained me the most. Because this, as of now, is my favourite work! So much so that I'll be using it for my portfolio. Ureshii...^^"

The lovely young lady in the picture here is posing in an uchikake, a gown that is used in traditional weddings. It was also mainly used during the muromachi era, by both women of high society and courtesans. And if you've noticed a couple of etchings on the interior, that was placed on purpose. Kimonos, especially those that are very expensive, usually have patterns on both outside and inside. She has here donned about 3 layers of kimono, two of which are thickly padded, with only the "underwear" being made of a light fabric. And although I wanted to make her obi (sash) a little more intricate, I decided that it would be better off plain, thus allowing the viewer to focus more on the uchikake and the person in general.

In here, I wanted to potray her in a dress that would really suit her, and initially came up with a snowy cliff overlooking the sea of Japan, only then I remembered that it wasn't Yukiko, but Yumiko!!! *Gomen* So I had to go back to square one.

And wow, what a headache it was. I was so sick and tired of the damned sakura that I wanted to have none of it. If only as the undergarment, which I had reluctantly conceded. So I researched those worn by geisha and kabuki actors. Something intricate, but not too intricate. And it was after a whole day of stoning and researching that I stumbled onto the perfect design, worn by an actress of the dance troupe, Kiku no kai. The pose on the other hand, was also from a picture of the head of the troupe, dressing as Okuni, founder of Kabuki theatre.

So, here she stands, holding a fan of gold, and looking every bit as I had wanted the picture to be. To end it off, I wanted to potray her not as a teen, but rather a young lady blossoming into womanhood. For that is when a woman's beauty truly begins to shine.


Note: I would like to thank Yumiko-san for allowing me to do her potrait, even though I had promised her that I would come up with one about a year ago, and for trusting such a person once more. (I finally found the photos you sent!)

I would also like to thank my mum for helping to write the words, coz I really suck at Chinese calligraphy.

And to you, members and visitors of FAC, for taking your time to view a silly sod's work.

And of course, ME. ^^