Drawings and Prints

Manuela Schiano Arts

Tsukumogami

A weight

Make a wish - the Daruma doll

“The Daruma rewards sacrifice and unwavering force of will. The shape lets the doll return always to an upright position. Upon purchase, the doll is missing its eyes. Paint one eye in one of the circles while committing to your goal and ask for help to god. Then paint the second eye, giving the god...

Seto-Taishō

Seto-Taishō (‘General Seto’) its name derives from the material of which it is composed, ceramics called “setomono”, from Seto, an area famous for earthenware. The word is used like our “china” (chinoiserie) said in relation to this type of crockery. Composed of these crockery and household objects no longer used, Seto-Taishō roams the kitchens...

Yanari

Yanari (house squeaker) are small onis that appear in houses at night, much more often in wooden noisy houses. They pop out from under the floor, ceilings and wooden furniture when it’s late at night. They run around the house making rumble and spite while everyone is asleep, scaring the unfortunate inhabitants of the house....

Echo

based on a photo of Munewari model @nawataneko, rigger @wykd_dave . [ink and mixed media on paper]

Eclipse

Eclipse “In this feminine darkness within us the daylight is disaster” based on a photo of Luigi C. Antonelli, models @lenticchia___ and Masa Shirow (thanks Masa Shirow for the valuable advice) mixed media on paper

Surrounded

inspired by a work of @hangknot and by the encounter with @masashirow . pencil + ink on paper

Phoenix

彼女は仕事の鬼だ ('he is the ogre of work')

Inspired by a photo of Eric Shore, models @red.sabbath and Riccardo Sergnese (@kinbakuluxuria) . ink on paper

The futakuchi-onna ('the woman with two mouths')

The tengu's fan

The kotengu

The oldest version of tengu is known as tengu-crow (karasu tengu 烏天狗) or small tengu (kotengu / shōtengu 小天狗). His features are those of a gigantic kite capable of transforming himself into a monk, a woman or even a Buddhist deity, just to seduce and make the unlucky monk of the day fall...

The kitsune

Hashihime no otogibanashi

Illustration for a story written by Tess Degger for the megazine ‘Kinbaku Society of Berlin‘. . [ink on paper]

The Kejōrō (the hairy prostitute)

Menreiki

Broken

Shadow play

Inspired by a photo of @sugiuranorio, model Miho Ikeda, ropes @nawanaka3mon . pencil on paper

The bath

Reification

model Sofia, rope @francescafarnese . [ink on paper] . Private collection

AKATEKO

Akateko (child red hand). A curious creature of unknown origins and legendary creepiness. Known as an “Akateko” ghost, this bizarre apparition takes the form of a child’s hand, disembodied and suspended from the branches of a tree and it is blood red as well. Luckily, apart from light naughty pranks played on passersby, the hand...

Manuela has been drawing since the age of two, immediately showing a strong attention to detail. She attended the State Art School of Naples and then, again in Naples, for only one year, the Academy of Fine Arts from which she retired having, in the meantime, discovered her passion for theater. Passion that totally absorbs her and that sees her as actress / director, author, set designer, maker of props and puppets, sound engineer and light designer. Passion that has lasted for thirteen years now, slowing down her work as a designer for a period of time but enriching it at the same time.
For some years the fascination for Japanese culture in general and for Japanese bondage in particular has taken to inspire her works. For each work there is a photographic reference which is then processed on the basis of the suggestion inspired by the vision of the image itself or by a myth of the Japanese folk tradition.
The prevalent use of ink led her to explore printing techniques, preferring screen printing.

Feel free to contact Manuela to provide some feedback on her works, give her suggestions, propose collaborations, commissions or to just say hello!