Yabe is a Japanese artist whose theme is the life force. She has loved drawing since childhood. She developed her observational skills by drawing things around her. She developed her imagination by reading illustrated books on living things. The first drawing she created was of a space in the sea where various creatures lived. Her interest in living creatures and creativity are the starting point of her creation. Her thirst for life force and desire for freedom are the driving force behind her artwork.
Yabe painted an oil on canvas size F50 at the age of 13. She discovered the joy of painting on a large canvas. She studied oil painting for 6 years at Kyoto City University of Arts for BA and MA. She was influenced by the sharp lines and bold composition of Jakuchu Ito (1716-1800) and Ukiyoe, and the gorgeous colors of Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) and Henri Matisse (1869-1954). In college she painted portraits and became interested in spaces. In graduate school, she changed her motif to animals and began to paint a variety of spaces in her paintings. She had her first solo exhibition while in school. After graduation, she taught art as a teacher while continuing her creative activities. She painted large works based on the underwater world she drew as a child. She became interested in exhibition spaces and installations.
Yabe pursues art that connects with the viewer. She creates experiential art in her large oil paintings and installations. She creates interactive art in her small works and sculptures. Expressing the space of life force provides viewers with an experiential exhibition space, and at the same time, she is surrounded by the reassuring feeling of life force.
