e ideas for this collection sprung from an image of a woman in samurai armor.I was drawn to the contra-dictory semiotics of a delicate woman waging war: tough vs. delicate.Upon further investigation, I learned that the onno-bugeisha were female members of the bushi (samurai) class in feudal Japan.ey were very rare but important figures in ancient Japan, known to be fierce warriors and leaders, many made significant contributions to their people – a divergence from the demure image of feudal Japanese women I once had. My research further led me to Katsura, the imperial villa in Kyoto.e vast and immensely sacred com-plex is an architectural masterpiece that’s seen Japan’s evolution since the 1500s.e maze of serenity and asymmetrical composition juxtaposing nature with both ancient and modern structures moved me toward skewed geometrical manipulations that mixed material, color, and shape. rough research and exploring technique, I worked on deconstructing then reconstructing materials. Contemplation of the onno-bugeisha, called to mind a person’s two sides.e soſt and fragile always bal-ances to an extent with the hard and strong; the dark and heavy balances with light and soſt.is collection is an exploration of combining opposites, geometric textures and unexpected color composites.