I created three works based on the world’s three major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.

In each work, the woman holds a flower deeply associated with that religious tradition: a lotus for Buddhism, a white lily for Christianity, and a rose for Islam.

Although each religion has its own distinct history and culture, I began to wonder whether there might be something that resonates across time, countries, and religions within the things people have found beautiful and cherished.

While creating this work, I studied Islamic culture and the decorative art found in mosques, which until then had been largely unfamiliar to me.

What particularly fascinated me was discovering forms within Islamic ornamentation that somehow echoed the Japanese *sarasa* patterns I had long incorporated into my own work.

Patterns travel from person to person and from place to place over long periods of time. As they encounter the plants, cultures, and traditions of each region, they gradually change, giving rise to new designs that are then passed on.

Perhaps even within our sense of what is beautiful, there is something shared across the world, transcending the boundaries of time, country, and culture.

The pattern surrounding the figure in this work is based on *Sakai Sarasa*, a style of Japanese *sarasa* that flourished during the late Edo period.

On the woman’s hijab, I painted the traditional Japanese *Shippō* pattern, which has long been regarded as an auspicious motif.

*Shippō* is composed of circles of equal size that overlap and connect endlessly. The pattern has traditionally carried wishes for harmony, meaningful relationships, and enduring connections between people.

I was deeply drawn to these endlessly interconnected circles, and since creating this work, I have continued to incorporate the pattern into many of my paintings.

Not only people, but animals, plants, the natural environment, and the world that surrounds us—all forms of existence are connected through countless relationships, continually influencing one another.

In the endlessly interlocking circles of the *Shippō* pattern, I see a reflection of such a world.

The red rose held by the woman represents another theme shared by all three works: **love**.

Even between different religions and cultures, there are things that resonate beyond boundaries.

And perhaps everything that appears in this world is itself a phenomenon arising from countless relationships.

This work was painted while contemplating such a world.