Vivienne’s art practice is deeply shaped by her connection to the craftspeople behind her materials. She has personally met each artisan — the paper, brush, and ink makers. During her 2024 research trip to Japan, she found herself in the narrow alleys of Nara-machi, visiting the workshop of the legendary Chiyomi Tanaka.

Through a mustard-coloured noren curtain, she entered a tiny showroom lined floor to ceiling with brushes. Ms. Tanaka is one of only seven remaining masters of Nara fude — brushes made in a tradition dating back more than 1,300 years, when monks and scholars first brought Chinese writing and Buddhism to Japan. Her workshop feels like a living archive, filled with tools so old they are no longer produced, each carrying centuries of knowledge. Yet her craft is endangered: Tanaka has not appointed a successor, and without a new shokunin to inherit her skills, a chapter of Japan’s artistic heritage is fading away.

Vivienne: “How can I possibly choose a brush from this vast selection?”
Ms. Tanaka: “Take all the time you need; try as many as you like. The right brush will always find you.”

Working with the shokunin and their materials reminds Vivienne that art is not just about what we create, but how we connect to the people, past, the earth, and the traditions that endure. In her work, Vivienne paints endangered nature with endangered craft, honouring both the fragility of the natural world and the traditions that bring it to life.