I fell in love with this Paulownia design on a trip to Japan and decided to make it my logo.
The design was hong in the Miho Museum in Kyoto, Japan. It is from the Momoyama Period, the 1700s. This silkscreen is said to be made during a tea ceremony, while people were enjoying themselves, looking at cherry tree blossoms. The tea ceremony was arranged by General Hideyoshi Toyotomi at the Daigoji Temple in Kyoto. General Hideyoshi Toyotomi is not only famous for his politics, mainly his foreign policy, he is also the father of the Momoyama Period – one of the most brilliant periods in Japanese history. The ruler was also an admirer and protector of the arts.
The love for art, beauty, nature, responsibility, perseverance, wisdom, patience, and the ability to carry the spark of the heart and incorporate it into one’s daily routine is of great importance to me. It is important to recognize the spirit behind everything – both objects and people – and to acknowledge our responsibility to channel this spirit. We are all carriers of the past, the past that inspires the present – an inheritance that is passed on to the future.