MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE CENTER
July 19–21, 2026 

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Choen Yoshida

吉田長園

Yoshida Choen is a Japanese calligrapher and a member of the Japan-Europe Palace Art Association.
Her works have been exhibited not only throughout Japan but also in various countries around the world.

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 Memories of Zhouzhuang 

 周荘の想い出 

Artist’s Statement

This work was inspired by a sketching trip to the outskirts of Shanghai, China, in May 2007, which I joined at the invitation of fellow ink painters.
The beautiful waterside landscapes of Songjiang and Zhouzhuang had long been places I dreamed of painting, and the memorable time spent there with my companions remains close to my heart.

I studied watercolor and oil painting in my student years.
Later, after moving to Niiza in Saitama Prefecture, I was introduced to the world of ink painting. My mentor, Seiryo Iwagami, encouraged me to “draw until the stack of your sketchbooks grows taller than you are.
” Inspired by those words, I have continued sketching and painting throughout my life.

I began practicing ink painting at the age of 37 and have continued for 46 years, now at the age of 83.
Through my involvement with the Japan-China Ink Painting Exchange Association, I have traveled extensively throughout China as well as to Vietnam, Mongolia, Taiwan, Switzerland, and Hong Kong.
After each journey, I have created works that preserve the memories and impressions of those places.
Within Japan, I have also devoted myself to depicting traditional festivals and regional landscapes, capturing the spirit and beauty of each location through my art.

 

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Japan-Europe Palace Art Association Commentary

Choen Yoshida’s ink paintings are shaped by a lifetime of observing landscapes, people, and places encountered throughout her travels.
More than simple depictions of scenery, her works carry a depth of feeling born from lived experience, reflecting the memories, impressions, and passage of time that have accumulated through decades of artistic dedication.

Through subtle gradations of ink, Yoshida captures the atmosphere of a place with remarkable sensitivity—the stillness of waterways, the shimmer of reflected light, and the quiet rhythms of daily life.
Her paintings evoke not only the beauty of the landscapes themselves, but also the human encounters and personal memories woven into each journey.
While grounded in the traditions of sumi-e, her work possesses a distinctive poetic quality that lends warmth and resonance to every scene.

Underlying Choen Yoshida’s artistic practice is a profound respect for place and an enduring spirit of exploration.
Having continued to sketch, travel, and paint over many decades, she brings to her work a richness of observation that extends beyond visual representation.
Within the expressive language of ink, traces of human presence, cultural memory, and the character of the land emerge naturally, allowing her paintings to convey both the emotions of travel and the reflections of a life devoted to art.