Himena Kokufuta, Mini Collection

Himena Kokufuta, Mini Collection
April 18th – May 17th, 2026

Haven Gallery is honored to present Japan based artist, Himena Kokufuta, for her mini collection at the gallery featuring three stunningly rendered oil paintings of female sitters with dragon spirits embedded in nature. Kokufuta paints her human sitters at moments of deep connection with their elemental dragons. In this mini collection, the elemental dragons are born of trees and illuminate the landscape with their beautifully enchanting colors. A bond of soul and heart unifies the subjects of each painting, returning and reminding humanity of its necessary union and harmony with the natural world.

About Himena Kokufuta
Born in 1994 in Ibaraki Prefecture. Graduated from the Graduate School of Tohoku University of Art and Design in 2019.

My work expresses the vitality of nature through the form of a dragon, using motifs such as coral and giant trees. I depict a world themed around “the connection between humans and nature,” which has been woven over many years. The subjects of my work are the dragon god legends passed down in Japan. In Japan, dragons are revered as water gods, and legends are associated with various places such as rivers, lakes, and waterfalls in each region.

Since ancient times, Japan has experienced frequent water-related disasters, such as water shortages and river floods, leading people to pray to the dragon gods for help. Many stories are written about dragons and people helping each other. Even today, water-related disasters occur all over the world due to climate change, and I feel that we are still plagued by natural disasters today and in the past. All living things cannot survive without water, but I feel that in today’s scientifically advanced world, people are no longer aware of the fact that they are living with nature in their hurried daily lives.