Doreen Kennedy, Mono No Aware

‘Mono No Aware’ is a homage to the Cherry Blossom tree and the transience of their blossoms. In Japan, Cherry Blossoms symbolise clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse and because of the blossom’s short life span, an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life which is embodied in the concept of ‘mono no aware’. The word is derived from the Japanese word mono which means “thing”, and aware, which was a Heian period expression of measured surprise, translating roughly as “pathos”, “poignancy”, “deep feeling”, or “sensitivity”. Thus, mono no aware has frequently been translated as “the ‘ahh-ness’ of things”, life, and love. Awareness of the transience of all things heightens appreciation of their beauty, and evokes a gentle sadness at their passing. Working from this theme, the series of images in Mono No Aware show portraits of Cherry Blossom trees, the short cycle of their blossoms with details of their flowers and images of their fallen petals.

About Doreen Kennedy

Doreen Kennedy is a visual artist living and working in Dublin, Ireland. She works with lens based media including photography, photo based installations, photomontage and film. She has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions in Ireland and internationally. Recent exhibitions include: ‘Art in Odd Places: Ritual’, New York, 2011; ‘Findings’ at The Courthouse Arts Centre, Wicklow 2009; ‘Sculpture in Context’ at National Botanic Gardens Dublin 2009 and ‘Re-Location’ at The Kenny Gallery, Galway. She was awarded a dlr County Council Arts Act Grant in 2010.
www.doreenkennedy.com