Madoka Naito doesn’t separate art from life: art is part of who she is. Her artworks come out of her in the process of being herself, and art is the language she feels most comfortable speaking in. Naito was raised on the tropical island of Okinawa, Japan, and grew up surrounded by the ocean, waves, and banyan trees. Now living in Miyazaki, Japan, Naito still cultivates her innate connection with nature through active observation and appreciation of its beauty. She uses a variety of materials in her sprawling, elaborate artworks, often employing whatever she finds around her. For example, during her residency at Château d'Orquevaux in France, Naito allowed people to walk, dance, and trail mud on one of her canvases, integrating their personal movements into the story of that particular artwork. Each of Naito’s pieces distills the spatial, temporal, and perceptual dimensions of a given moment.

Naito’s innovative art conveys the idea that the ephemera valued by human society ceases to exist in the natural world. As she creates her work, Naito absorbs both her visible and invisible surroundings, be they twigs, animals, leaves, or the permeating energy of the natural space. This translates into harmonious curvilinear forms that embrace the organic flow of life, while reflecting a fundamental truth she acquired during her travels: as beings of nature, all humans are fundamentally the same, yet each one of us is also entirely unique.