Blog: What's In A Name

The name Chihiro's Box was taken from Chihiro Iwasaki's art collection album's title. I am a big fan of this illustrator ever since the time I didn't know I was. My first encounter with Iwasaki-sensei's work was at my host family's house. In my late Obaachan's room, every time I entered the room, my eyes were always fixated on the picture hanging near one of the window. It was a picture of a mother and a child, drew with soft colors of blue, black, and red on white background. The way the colors mixed, how the brush probably stroked when applying it, just thinking of it always takes my breath away. I learned later that the illustration's name was "Haha no Hi" (Mother's Day), even though the name of the illustrator didn't quite take a settle place in my brain, like many other Japanese name at that time.

But Iwasaki-sensei's illustrations continue to cross my path, when I read Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window. While flipping the pages, I felt that there was something familiar with the book. The books' illustrations strokes, simple but so very touching, brought me back to my Obaachan's room. This time I tried to memorize the artist's name and later on found as many informations about her as I can. I found that she has a museum dedicated for her works, so I went there (the review of this museum will be posted later).

There was no replacement for the word "box" in Chihiro's Box. I like it because to casual feel about the word, more playable and not too misterious like "chest", more spacious and felt not contained rather than "drawer". The name remained as it is because I wanted a blog that can store anything, without classifications or any order. Thix BOX will be a place where everyone can play, store anything that had and still has meaning in their lifes.