Illustration collection book of illustrations from Erica Ward's 2023 "MIYABORI" series.

Miyabori are the intricate wood carvings seen on the pillars and walls at shrines and temples. I always marvel at the craftsmanship of these carvings, and the dynamic shapes often inspire my urge to draw. When I look at miyabori, I start to imagine what the world might look like if the same respect and attention were given to other objects. What if we adorned the things that we rely on every day and yet to which generally give little thought? I wanted this series to be both playful and inquisitive in using miyabori motifs to ask the viewer to contemplate the value of objects that we may take for granted in our daily lives.

A5 size. 24 pages, 21 full-color illustrations