Alia Sugawara’s Konketsu (混血) is a deeply contemplative and serene exploration of tradition, intuition and duality. Currently on view at otherthings by THE SHOPHOUSE in Hong Kong, the exhibition is tucked away in Tai Hang – an unassuming neighborhood quietly teeming with modern art and creativity – and marks the Japan-based artist’s international debut.

For this milestone showing, Sugawara presents a new series of works elegantly rendered on traditional Japanese washi paper using black sumi ink. The body of work features an array of formats, including hanging scrolls, folding screens and mounted works, all of which utilize the natural bleeding and absorption of the ink to reflect a delicate tension between ferocity and grace.

“…I want to maintain some control, but what I love about sumi is that you can’t completely control it.”

Enhancing the exhibition’s contemplative intensity is a series of high-profile collaborations with renowned Japanese creators, such as UNDERCOVER’s Jun Takahashi, art director Tetsuya Nagato and ceramicist Kenta Anzai. Technically, Konketsu represents a significant evolution in Sugawara’s use of traditional materials. For this show, she transitioned from the more controlled dosabiki (treated) paper to a traditional, non-treated washi. This shift required her to relinquish control, as the ink bleeds more freely on the raw fibers. By painting “thousands of butterflies” to master this volatile interaction, Sugawara has achieved a new level of growth, creating lines that she believes possess a deeper, more inherent beauty than her previous, more structured work.

At the heart of her practice is a deeply intuitive process that eschews over-calculation in favor of what she calls “observing” her own art. Her primary motif – a fusion of butterflies and bats – emerges from a “pile of images” in her mind, sparked by real-world experiences in nature. “I don’t really come up with anything,” she admits, describing her role as a vessel for interactions with the plants and animals that transform in her mind’s eye. This instinctive approach results in works that are both strange and naturally calming, inviting the viewer into a space that is profoundly peaceful.

This is your first exhibition outside of Japan. What made you choose Hong Kong for this debut?

Alia Sugawara: Hong Kong just came naturally. The last time I was here for Art Basel and it was an experience. Japan doesn’t have the same kind of energy towards art. It’s a different color energy — much more muted, whereas Hong Kong is more vibrant. If I had to give it a color, Hong Kong feels like orange or red. It felt very different from Japan and I loved it.

The title of your show is Konketsu. What does that word mean to you personally and artistically?

I don’t think of my art as a reflection of myself, so I didn’t think of Konketsu that way initially. But after I painted everything, the title worked because the main theme is these creatures that are a mixture of butterflies and bats. In Japanese, “mixed blood” doesn’t sound as grotesque. It’s about the dynamic of two separate groups — the result of the mixture, but also where they came from. It also relates to a lot of the art I’ve painted, things that are a mix of two things.

“I want [visitors] to experience something strange and new, but not threatening…”

Can you tell us the story of how you came up with this motif?

I don’t really come up with it; it originates from things I’ve really experienced, often in nature, plants, animals — I see things in my mind’s eye that aren’t actually there. It’s a pile of images in my head that I have to get out on paper. I don’t feel much control over what I paint – it’s very intuitive and instinctive. Honestly, I think it would be a challenge for me to draw or paint things I don’t feel a connection to.

For this exhibition, you’re mostly working with sumi ink and washi paper, both of which are tricky mediums. How much of your process is about harnessing the ink versus letting it flow?

I feel more like an observer of my own art, and of the sumi ink. Of course, I want to maintain some control, but what I love about sumi is that you can’t completely control it.

I’m not traditionally trained in Japanese painting. I just fell in love with these mediums. In previous exhibitions, I used dosabiki paper, which has a thin layer of animal-based glue that slows the ink down for more crisp and structured lines. But that paper doesn’t last as long as the original washi paper. I wanted to let go of control and go the traditional way, even though controlling the ink is much harder. I painted thousands of butterflies to figure out this style.

You’ve collaborated with three different creatives: Jun Takahashi, Tetsuya Nagato and Kenta Anzai. How did these collaborations come about?

Jun and Tetsuya, I’ve known them for a long time. They had a hanging scroll they worked on together and we decided to do a collaborative piece. Tetsuya is a collage artist and used vintage music box punch paper as a base, and Jun and I did sumi ink paintings on top.

Anzai-san was introduced to me by my gallerist, Alex. Our works pair well together — traditional hanging scrolls are often paired with ceramic works. I used his ceramics to show the scale of my miniature hanging scrolls and folding screens.

I do love how you play with the scale of the scrolls and screens. The series of miniature scrolls is really fun.

Exactly! I want it to be fun and cute. I also want people to feel closer to hanging scrolls – they’re such an old school, traditional craft in Japanese culture, it can feel overly prestigious and distant, which is not really something a young person would buy. But hanging scrolls are really beautifully made; I wanted to make tweaks so that it would be much more approachable. And then working with Jun and Tetsuya-san, they pulled it even further away from tradition, but I love that.

What emotion do you want visitors to take home from this exhibition?

I want them to experience something strange and new, but not threatening. I want a sense of peace to be felt, along with a sense of appreciation for the beauty in traditional Japanese crafts.

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Alia Sugawara’s Konketsu is currently on view at otherthings by THE SHOPHOUSE until May 10, 2026. The exhibition is by appointment only.

otherthings by THE SHOPHOUSE
31 Sun Chun Street, Tai Hang, Hong Kong