Red Ribbon

Sei Saito is a Japanese-born artist, married to an American college professor, and after many years creating her works in Flagstaff, Arizona, is now living in Hawaii. She does large-scale acrylic paintings, which reflect vivid colors and patterns shaped by the places she has lived and by her life experiences. Her work draws deeply on her personal outlook, with her life and emotions strongly expressed in each piece. Painted not for an audience, but for herself, it is genuine artwork from the heart.

Sei describes this work with the following words:

“When I was in kindergarten, my grandmother was sleeping in a dimly lit room. Someone came to visit her with a big fruit basket. The basket had a bright red ribbon on it. Grandmother handed the ribbon to me. I was scared when I touched her skinny bony hand.”