Born in Saitama, Japan, artist and illustrator Mariko Enomoto grew up in an environment surrounded by art and nature, partly due to the influence of her great-grandfather who was a traditional Japanese-style painter. Enomoto studied fashion and now designs artwork for various genres such as book and magazine illustrations, theater visuals, CD jackets, etc. In 2004, She began her creative activities as a self-taught painter. In 2017, she was selected as a finalist for the MONSTER Exhibition 2017, which gave her an opportunity to exhibit at hpgrp Gallery New York later in the year. She then won the Semi-Grand Prize among 120 participants at Independent Tokyo, which further led her to an overseas exhibition held by Ashok Jain Gallery in New York.
The charm of Enomoto's art lies in her creation of a mysterious world that has never been seen before. Her paintings are both surreal and elegant, giving viewers a variety of impressions. She mainly focuses on acrylic paintings of people with their faces covered by plants and animals, revealing broad worldviews in a new way that does not rely on facial expressions. Through interweaving human and natural elements, Enomoto creates unusual and magical worlds with strong visual impact. The layers of background, people, and objects expand the imagination and invite viewers into the world of the artist's stories.
Picking a mysterious painting featuring a burning lamb by the artist as the key pattern, INITIAL produces a series of printed and embroidered seasonal must-haves for the collaboration capsule.
