The blossoming of cherry trees is celebrated annually with festivals throughout Japan. However, due to climate change, the cherry trees blossom earlier in the year and celebrations traditionally held in April are now held in March. “As babies, we come to love these flowers, and we cannot grow up without seeing them bloom every year,” says Ayomi Yoshida, the artist. “From our time as infants, we feel the ‘transience’ of the beautiful flowers that then fall to the ground after only a few days, and in that transience we continue to grow up.” Yoshida created this series as commentary on the cherry trees and the effect climate change is having on them. 

To create these unique prints, Yoshida carved the images into wood blocks (one for each color), then used water-based ink to hand block-print the images. She also crafted buds from paper and appliquéd them to the branches, lending subtle dimension. The buds are as delicate as a living plant and a tribute to the seasonality of cherry blossoms. Due to the meticulous nature of the process, completing a series of prints takes about three months. Each of the 40 prints is signed and numbered by the artist, and is only available at Room & Board.