The Flower in No One’s Memory | KAORI Solo Exhibition “MONOCHROME ECHOES”

KAORI’s solo exhibition, “MONOCHROME ECHOES,” will be held starting November 11, 2026, at “Gallery Nikai,” located within Feel Records Kyoto Hanare. On the final day, Saturday, November 14, there will also be a live performance combining handpan, DJing, and live painting.

We spoke with KAORI, who continues to pursue a wide range of creative activities as both a painter and a musician, about her background as an artist.

Could you please introduce yourself?

I’m originally from Kyoto and currently reside in Hyogo Prefecture. In addition to directing and running the apparel brand “BELLEVIE,” I am active as a DJ, percussionist, and paint artist. In my personal life, I’m also a mother raising three children.

What originally made you start painting?

Ever since I was little, I was a child who loved drawing. I remember making exchange manga with friends and drawing whenever I had free time.

Could you tell us about any artists or works that have influenced you?

I feel I was influenced by Salvador Dalí. There was something about the quiet, dark, and slightly eerie world in his work that truly resonated with me, and I used to look at his pieces often.

What do you express through your work?

I have a strong interest in “the inner self” of people.

As we grow into adulthood, we learn how to separate the self we show to the outside world from the self within. Even so, our inner selves remain unchanged, or hold onto compromises we refuse to make… I believe everyone lives in society while constantly finding peace with that side of themselves.

I wanted to express that kind of “voice of the true self” through my artwork.

Could you tell us about the concept behind your solo exhibition at Gallery Nikai?

Based on the concept “The Flower in No One’s Memory,” I expressed the various internal emotions and states of people by metaphorically replacing them with “flowers.”

What kinds of works will be on display at this exhibition?

We plan to exhibit and sell 2D floral artworks created purely in monochrome, pieces painted onto apparel, as well as exclusive exhibition merchandise.

What does “expression” mean to you, KAORI?

In our daily lives, there are moments when our hearts are moved, or when we experience hard-to-describe sensations and inspirations. I think expression, for me, is bringing those moments out into the open in a different form.

I really love talking, but to me, expression might be a means of communication that serves as “another kind of conversation”—one that goes beyond words.