Kaori Someya's feminine figure holds an intense and tender gaze nestled amidst glimmering mineral paints and precious gold. The painter's signature urahaku technique is the layering of gold and platinum leaves behind artisinally crafted washi paper. Each layer is textured and worked by hand, undulating with light and movement like a halo around the portrait. Someya's vibrant Nihonga paints breath life into fluttering butterflies that pattern the silk kimono and rest across her body, symbolizing the cycle of life from humble beginnings to at last the spreading of wings.