Shadows of the Cloud

After I moved to New York, I traveled many times from New York to Tokyo and from Tokyo to New York. The thirteen-hour non-stop flights were hell at first. However, since taking interest in on-flight route-maps, the flights were no longer hellish.

During each flight, I looked at the monitor in front of my seat which shows flight data from departure to arrival. At the same time, I looked down at the earth from my window. Altitude 36,000 feet, Ground Speed 590 mph, Outside Air Temperature -67F – the map on the monitor was showing Fairbanks Alaska. I looked down from the window and recognized a group of lights in the pitch-dark earth.

My strong interest in looking down at the earth impelled me with such immense energy and inspiration to create works such as River Flow and Shadow of the Clouds.