KUROMONO Aona Hayashi

Born in 1989, Aona Hayashi is an illustrator and painter whose abstract sumi-ink works have gained international acclaim, including a 2024 D&AD Award. Eschewing messages or intentions, Hayashi produces primitive shapes like circles and triangles through "unconscious" movements, creating what she calls "diagrams" rather than pictures.

This anthology compiles works from three major solo exhibitions alongside new pieces. A key highlight is the extraordinary printing by YPP; using a "triple black" technique, three layers of black ink are superimposed to replicate the visceral depth and texture of actual sumi ink. Combined with a hand-foiled cover by master artisans, this book invites viewers to transcend language and return to a primitive spiritual state.