Space Ama

This is the May print in the Mokuhankan 2025 subscription series, created in collaboration with Atelier Sento.

The image depicts an ama (海女), or “sea woman” — a traditional Japanese diver known for harvesting seafood and, famously, pearls. In this futuristic scene, the ama is reimagined as a spacefarer, collecting mysterious crystalline objects from drifting asteroids.

In the background, you’ll notice a torii gate standing on one of the asteroids, and a shimenawa (a sacred rope) connecting asteroids — both elements referencing Shinto beliefs and symbolizing the presence of sacred space, even in this surreal, off-world setting.

Series note from Atelier Sento:

"Since childhood, we’ve always been fascinated by Japan. With its technological advance, its robots and skyscrapers, it felt like the future to us. Years have passed and a sense of nostalgia has layered over that fascination, as if the future we once dreamed of had been lost forever. We’d like to invite you on a journey to a world that will never exist... and yet feels strangely familiar. Are you ready for takeoff?"

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 to see more for Atelier Sento check out their website here: Link

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