Japanese artist Fuco Ueda constructs ethereal worlds filled with iridescent chrysanthemums, invisible horses, and dreamlike women with eyes that glow red. Using thinned acrylic paint, she creates a watercolour affect that allows her already otherworldly painting to appear even more hauntingly beautiful. The artist’s use of a rich and radiant palette adds an unnatural flavour to these already surreal realms. Each painting is filled with a mysterious aura of quiet warmth and beauty.

Ueda’s work is undeniably stunning, but not without a hint of darkness. Chrysanthemums, which appear to glow as if radiating with heat, are a common theme in her work and often are depicted being destroyed through various methods such as being cut or being burned. Ueda’s graceful characters appear as if they have a veiled secret, as they tend to be in eerie circumstances with their bodies disappearing or turning into nothing but bone. Ominous and often feared creatures like bees, snakes, and spiders are no strangers to these characters. In fact, Ueda’s women embrace them, making them a part of their strange essence.

Fuca Ueda is represented by Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angels, CA, where you can find more images of her work.