About

 

Mirto Kodama
Mirto Kodama is an artist who depicts delicate, coquettish women.  

Like the saying "Man is born free, and yet is everywhere in chains" (Rousseau), her main theme relates to "restraints and freedom".


Dozing off while enveloped in the aroma of myrtle and figs in a paradise like a Roman viridarium...
Kodama spends each day drawing while embracing this fantasy.

 

"Mirto" represents the "myrtle" tree that blooms beautiful white flowers.

I became acquainted with the myrtle tree while reading Tatsuhiko Shibusawa’s "Arabesque Stories".

Interested in the furigana reading "mi-ru-to" over the Japanese word for "myrtle":

銀梅花／ミルト (actually pronounced "ginbaika")

that was in "To Die in a Volcano", one of the 12 stories in that set, I began to research the tree.


The myrtle tree is an evergreen of the Myrtaceae family that originated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It grows to a height of about 5m and offers us many beautiful, white flowers from June through July.

In Japan, it is said that the myrtle was called "ginbaika" (literally "silver plum flowers") due to the shape of the flowers just starting to bloom being similar to the popular Ume plum tree and its white flowers being likened to a silver color.

Considered a symbol of celebration and the sacred tree of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, myrtle flowers have been used at weddings in Europe since ancient times. Also symbolizing "purity" and "authority", the myrtle has been loved by many throughout the ages.

Once I came to learn of its meaning, I wanted to be named after this flower.

And, because the myrtle is also used in liqueurs and perfumes, "Mirto" just might be right there beside you in your daily life right now.

 

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こだま美瑠兎（コダマミルト）　Mirto Kodama

繊細でコケテッシュな女性を描くアーティスト

「人は生れながら自由で，しかもいたるところで鎖に縛られている」（ルソー）
という言葉のごとく“束縛と自由”を大きなテーマとしています。

ヴィリダリウムのような楽園で銀梅花や無花果の香をききながら幸せな気持で眠りにつけたら・・・という幻想をいだきつつ描く日々を送っております。

 

Mirtoは「銀梅花」という白い花が咲く植物。

銀梅花を知ったきっかけは澁澤龍彦「唐草物語」を読んだ時のこと。

12篇の物語のうち“火山に死す”の文中にある単語「銀梅花」にミルトとふりがなが付いていたのが気になって調べてみたのが最初でした。

銀梅花は地中海沿岸原産のフトモモ科の常緑樹、樹高約５ｍで、６月から７月にかけて、白く綺麗な花が多数咲きます。

日本では咲き始めの花の形が梅に似ていて、花色の「白」を「銀色」に例えたところから「銀梅花」になったのだそう。

ヨーロッパでは古くから「祝いの木」「愛の女神アフロディーテの神木」ともいわれ花が結婚式で使われたり、“純潔”や“権力”を象徴することもあり、人々に愛されてきた植物だといえますね。

こういった意味を知るとこの花に肖れるような人になりたいと思います。

またリキュールや香水にも使用されているので貴方の身近でMirtoが存在しているかもしれませんね。