‘We, Australians – dream catchers’ – Sadami Konchi

Sadami’s profound affection for people has lead her to place an emphasis on working with non-profit organisations to assist and advocate for marginalised parts of the community. As an immigrant and a differently abled individual, Sadami has a strong personal link to the groups she works with. Much of her artistic work is actively influenced and guided by these altruistic pursuits and so her portraits are lively and authentic portrayals of real people and their multifaceted lives.

Sadami sees unlimited potential in all people, no matter their seeming disadvantages, and suggests that one’s perspective can be a primary determining factor in their life. She references the autobiographical book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’, by holocaust survivor V.E. Frankl as a source of hope and spiritual inspiration for her. Frankl was a psychologist and philosopher and founder of logotherapy, a psychological approach in which the individual is aided in finding personal purpose and meaning in their life. Frankl stresses the power and freedom that one is able to cultivate through their own patterns of thought, even, if not especially, in times of suffering. Sadami embodies this philosophy in her art and volunteer work, always approaching life with an open heart and a readiness to connect with those around her.

When speaking of her ongoing volunteer work to help feed those of the homeless community her words are full of tender and thoughtful observation. Sadami’s academic background in sociology, linguistic and illustration, blend as she notes the speed with which the food was distributed, the socioeconomic contrast between communities just streets away, alongside the general atmosphere between volunteers and those receiving, being the desire for belonging and connection.

Punctuating her words are pencil and watercolour sketches depicting the simple yet highly meaningful interactions between people and their surrounding world. Dedicated research underpins much of Sadami’s artistic ventures, since her artworks are often created to accompany and reify other’s words.

To Sadami, art is the ultimate form of self expression, as she puts it: ‘Art is, “What/who I’ve been,” “Who I am,” and “Who I will become.”’

When it came to the kite project, Sadami at first balked at the medium:

‘Oh, my gosh, what can I, a water colourist do with a cloth canvas? Run away from the kite?! But suddenly, the sky opened and an angel or an idea came to me! Yay! Modelling paste, that’s it! Modelling paste can cover the kite’s surface and will create a solid base for watercolour! With a big smile, I spread it on the kite like jam or butter! Kids do not lick it!’

The work is titled ‘We Australians’ and features a beautiful bouquet of native flowers and plants presented to her by the highly regarded sociolinguistics team that produced the collection of stories entitled ‘Life in a New language’.

Sadami created the cover for this heartfelt project, a vibrant watercolour collage of immigrant life in Australia.

Of the bouquet and its use as part of her kite design, Sadami says: ‘Australian native flowers represent our identity that symbolises our unity and harmony. The gift, the bunch of Australian native flowers, delighted me, so touching. We, Australians will bloom and live as domestic plants strongly rooted on this continent.’

The ode to Australian native vegetation now stands preserved in her office. Beside it a facsimile of Waratah, Billy buttons, purple banksia, Grey Eucalyptus gum leaf appear now to also grow on a kite. The Modelling paste solution brings the bouquet to life with its rough texture adding a sense of movement to the still life. The dream catcher’s tail is made up of two dreamcatchers and a red heart trinket to represent hope for children living with cancer.

‘In Japan, people celebrated a new year like Christmas in Australia. “Flying a kite” was a children’s traditional game played at this time of year. I’ve always loved it.’

As a child Sadami yearned for adventure and intrigue. She would always be seeking out fantastical stories in books. Perhaps drawing helped her realise these dreams and that’s one of the reasons she loved it so much.

‘I wanted to do everything and anything. Adventures to the deep forests in Amazon, mummy searching in pyramids, pirates around a treasure island, climbing high mountains, the moon, planets…I wanted to fly across the sky. I actually tried, on a very windy day. Yes, I attempted to fly by an umbrella and fell to the ground. Little Sadami found the gravity of the earth and realised that we, humans, need mathematics and physics to organise wings or an air plane or a rocket!’

Currently Sadami is working on her own picture book projects. Researching, sketching, hunting for models and watercolour studying. She is concurrently working on competition submissions, plus physiotherapy and swimming for rehab. As always she is also enjoying reading other people’s work: ‘…Tracks by Davidson, R, The Other ANZACS by Rees, P and, of course, picture books.’

by Adelaide Stolba