Of Foam and Folklore: Reimagining the Amabie in the Birthplace of Venus

Amabie x Aphrodite, 2020, Priovate collection

My creative journey often begins at the intersection of my Japanese roots and the ancient stones of Paphos, Cyprus, where I live and work. In my studio, I find myself drawn to stories that bridge these two worlds, and perhaps no piece illustrates this better than my Amabie-inspired series. The story of this work starts with the Amabie itself—a Japanese yokai or sea spirit from the 19th century Edo period, characterized by its bird-like beak, long hair, and three legs.

Legend tells us that this creature emerged from the glowing sea to prophesy a rich harvest and instructed that, in times of sickness, its image should be drawn and shown to the people as a protective charm. In 2020, as the world looked for symbols of hope and healing, I felt an instinctive

pull to bring this folklore into the present. By painting the Amabie, I wasn't just recreating a historical figure; I was participating in a centuries-old tradition of using art as a talisman against uncertainty.

19th century official document from Japan depicting the appearance of Amabie (Di Sconosciuto - The Japanese book 『日本の幻獣-未確認生物出現録- 企画展解説図録』, Pubblico dominio, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2519147)

The narrative layer deepened as I considered my surroundings in Paphos, a city inseparable from the mythology of Aphrodite. As the legendary birthplace of the Greek goddess of beauty, Paphos carries a specific energy where the sea is a source of divine creation. I began to notice a striking historical and legendary parallel between the Amabie and Aphrodite: both are essentially "sea-born" entities. While Aphrodite famously rose from the sea foam to bring grace to the world, the Amabie emerged from the waves to offer protection. This shared origin led me to a bold interpretive choice: I decided to depict the Amabie in the iconic "Venus Pudica" pose, standing atop a scallop shell—a direct nod to the Western mythological tradition. This synthesis of East and West allowed me to explore how different cultures "birth" symbols of resilience from the same primordial ocean, effectively blending the protective power of a Japanese yokai with the classical aesthetic of a Mediterranean goddess.

This creative spark soon evolved beyond a single watercolor painting and led me down a path of deeper exploration into the idea of "Venus." I found myself returning to the works of Botticelli, specifically The Birth of Venus, using its composition as a framework to explore other surreal and mythological figures.

The Birth of Umibouzu, Sirens and Tomokazuki, 2020, Private Collection

The Virth of Umibouzu, linocut, 2020

This influence is visible in my subsequent works, such as my watercolour painting and linocuts where I depict the "Birth of Umibouzu" (a sea spirit), transposing the classical, graceful pose of Venus onto more shadowed, mysterious forms. For the collector, viewing these pieces in person is meant to be an experience of "quiet intensity." The vibrant watercolors of the Amabie—complete with the protective calligraphy "疫病退散" (dispelling plague)—offer a sense of ethereal hope, while the textured, bold lines of the linocuts provide a grounded, tactile connection to the myth. I believe that for those who value narrative-rich art, these works serve as more than decoration; they are layers of geography, history, and personal evolution, reminding us that our need for protective stories is a universal human constant that transcends borders.