Artika International

15/04/2026

Whenever I see the stunning view of Sydney Harbour, I feel I returned home. Hiroe Swen says whenever she sees wattles, she feels she came back home. Then when we see old temples in Kyoto, we feel we came back home.

On this trip, Hiroe and I shared similar feelings of belonging as Japanese-Australians and I’m sure they’re shared by people of diverse backgrounds who have made Australia home.

But what happens when you return after a lifetime away?

At 91, after 57 years in Australia, Hiroe went back to Japan. Discover her story in “Hiroe, the Monk and Me”. Follow our journey: https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/hiroe-the-monk-and-me/

14/04/2026

Wataru Kawashima’s works with traditional ink caught my eyes while walking through the bookstore at Ginza Six today. I often wondered what is the essence of Kyoto aesthetics I grew up appreciating and sure enough the artist is from Kyoto. Kawashima-san says, “like the monks who thought enlightenment by creating Zen gardens, I strive to reach understanding through the act of creation. I merely entrust the unique soot particles of ‘old ink’ to water, causing ‘phenomena’ to emerge on the surface of ‘paper’. Although these phenomena exhibit a painterly presence, I believe it is crucial that the artist’s intention of depicting something appears faint.” His words resonated deeply with my own journey in documentary film - especially as I continue to explore the life and art of Kyoto-born ceramic artist, Hiroe Swen.

Wataru Kawashima’s solo exhibition, “The Depth Within Ink” is on at Ginza Atrium in the middle of Tsutaya Books at Ginza Six in Tokyo till 22nd April.

11/04/2026

Research & recce in Kyoto for our documentary Hiroe, the Monk and Me – 無心のかたち.

Feeling the deep connection between place, people, and tradition.

#嵯峨大念仏狂言

09/04/2026

One of Cornel Swen’s sketches that Hiroe donated to Cowra before leaving Australia last year was of Kyoto’s Nishi-Hongwanji. So we went to find the exact spot he had sketched—and we did. What we didn’t expect was the story that followed. Hiroe shared that her great-grandfather, once a samurai of Hikone-han, worked at this temple after the Meiji Restoration and later became the principal of its kindergarten. Her father played here as a child.

Standing beneath a 400-year-old ginkgo tree, she reflected on how it had witnessed generations of her family… and her late husband. A monk once even brought tea to Cornel as he sat here sketching all day.These unexpected connections—between Kyoto and Cowra, past and present—are unfolding naturally.

Then on Wednesday, I took Hiroe to my favourite matcha spot. She loved it so much that she started filming! I then brought her to Daigo-ji, which used to be my high school marathon ground. Hiroe had visited the temple grounds to see cherry blossoms with her family after the war, but had never entered the temple itself. Once again, she picked up her phone and started filming. She filmed me as I filmed her!

03/04/2026

After 57 years in Australia, Hiroe has returned to Japan—not to retire, but to begin a new chapter of creation. At 92, she is restoring her late husband Cornel’s artwork, gently adding her own colour and breath—continuing a love and creative dialogue that transcends time.

On the day she left Australia, I gave her a piece of calligraphy from the monk. It read: “May you return along your path more radiant than when you first set foot.”

Before dawn in Kyoto, at 4:30 am, Hiroe, her niece Shinko, and I set out beneath cascading cherry blossoms to capture that very idea — a fleeting life, suspended in beauty and made eternal.

This is a story of love, legacy, and the courage to begin again—no matter your age.

If this story speaks to you, I invite you to be part of bringing it to life. https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/hiroe-the-monk-and-me/

A big thank you to Sony Australia for supporting our documentary by lending me the FX3 camera. These images were all shot with their camera.

01/04/2026

Today was something truly special. At 92, Hiroe Swen returned to Kontai-ji Temple in Kyoto—the very place where she married her late husband, Cornel, 60 years ago. Before Cornel passed away in his 90s, he said to Hiroe, “If I am ever reborn, I would want to marry you again.” Theirs was a rare and beautiful love, shared both as life partners and creative partners. Filming Hiroe there, surrounded by memory, love, and the quiet passage of time, was very moving. This moment—so rare, so fragile—would not have been possible without the generosity of those who believed in this story. My deepest thanks to kind Australian people who generously made donations. I am currently documenting Hiroe’s extraordinary journey—one that bridges cultures, art and spirituality with resilience and hope. But to continue capturing these fleeting, irreplaceable moments, I need your support. If this story moves you, I invite you to be part of it. 🔗 https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/hiroe-the-monk-and-me/ Every contribution, big or small, helps preserve a legacy that deserves to be seen, heard, and remembered.

25/03/2026

The monk (88) at Daitoku-ji Oubai-in temple was only six years old when his scientist parents were killed in a bomb experiment and his only sister got shot during the war. Orphaned, he found his path in Zen Buddhism.

For the past four years, I have been asking him to write words of wisdom in calligraphy for Hiroe Swen (92), who has gone through a very challenging stage in her life.

Today, I visited him with Hiroe and her niece. We spoke about life, and about a new project that lies ahead of us.

Both Hiroe and the monk are artists. Both have faced the loss of strength in their hands. And yet, both continue to create.

While the monk was showing us around the temple, Hiroe came across a scroll he had done in his 40s. She loved it so much that the monk took it off the wall and gave it to her.

It reads: “Itteki Kenkon o uruosu” — a single drop of water nourishes earth and heaven. The monk explains, “You may feel small, but you can help make the world a better place.” That scroll will now hang in Hiroe’s apartment in Kyoto.

Their bond deepened to the point where Hiroe declared she would become his “little sister,” and the monk vowed to one day conduct her funeral.

Please follow and support the documentary film, “Hiroe, the Monk and Me” at https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/hiroe-the-monk-and-me/

18/03/2026

As a longtime admirer of Yuriko Takagi—and a lover of textiles, craftsmanship, and stories shaped through women’s perspectives—this exhibition was a real joy.

At Bunkamura The Museum, Threads of Beauty 1995–2025 invites you into a powerful world where clothing becomes identity, culture, and lived experience.

Part of Shibuya Fashion Week 2026 Spring, this is a must-see—and it’s free to the public until March 29. If you’re in Tokyo, don’t miss it.

17/03/2026

The Kikuchi Biennale XI – The Present of Ceramics at 菊池寛実記念 智美術館 in Tokyo is an essential exhibition for those interested in contemporary ceramic art. Thoughtful attention is given not only to the works themselves, but to their spatial dialogue—particularly the interplay of shadow, surface, and backdrop, where texture and colour are carefully calibrated to heighten perception. The result is a quietly immersive viewing experience, echoing the thoughtful curatorial approach of the 2024 Biennale. Kikuchi Biennale X appears in my documentary. Hiroe, the Monk and Me (WT), where the exhibition reveals much about what Hiroe Swen had to face in 2024!

07/03/2026

This International Women’s Day, I’m proud to share my feature documentary project about an extraordinary woman—created by a strong team of women at a time when women remain underrepresented in the arts and film.

"Hiroe, the Monk and Me - 無心のかたち" is the inspiring story of 91-year-old Japanese-Australian ceramic artist Hiroe Swen, who continues to transform personal loss and aging into a powerful testament to resilience, creativity, and cultural legacy.

The film is currently in development, supported by Screen Australia, with Australian distribution by Ronin Films upon completion.

If this story resonates with you, I would be deeply grateful for your support. Donations are tax-deductible in Australia through Documentary Australia and will help bring this remarkable story to the screen.

✨ Please consider contributing and sharing this post to help us reach more people.
https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/hiroe-the-monk-and-me/

The enlightened journey of a 91-year-old woman artist turning grief and aging into creative renewal and cultural legacy.