A work by YURIKO YUCO YOSHIKAWA.

Title: Immersed in Vermilion (朱に交れば) | Created in 2026

An Original Technique — Caramel Ground Etching

This work incorporates Caramel Ground Etching, a process developed independently by this artist, in which caramel is used as etching ground in place of conventional materials.

The resulting corrosion patterns carry an organic unpredictability — marks that emerge from the material itself, and cannot be repeated.

Two copper plates. Unusual materials — Soap Ground Etching, Caramel Ground Etching (an original technique developed by the artist using caramel and sugar in place of traditional ground), aquatint, and etching. Each plate corroded through a painstaking process, then printed side by side on a single sheet of copperplate paper. And then — the artist's hand, moving in vermilion sumi ink, tracing something that cannot be repeated. This is not a print. This is not a painting. It is both, and neither. A work that exists only once.

The Story Behind This Work

朱に交れば赤くなる。 Immerse yourself in vermilion — and you become it.

The ancient Japanese proverb speaks of transformation through immersion — how one is inevitably shaped by one's surroundings. In this work, the artist asks: what if that transformation were beautiful? What if being changed by the world around you was not a loss, but a becoming?

Two copper plates were prepared separately, each worked with unconventional techniques — Soap Ground Etching, and Caramel Ground Etching, an original method developed by the artist herself using caramel and sugar as a substitute for traditional ground. Each plate was then corroded and inked. They were printed together onto a single sheet of copperplate paper, their worlds merging into one. Finally, the artist took up her brush and drew in vermilion sumi ink — a gesture that cannot be undone, a mark that makes this work unrepeatable.

Printmaking was born as a means of reproduction. But in this work, the plates were never made to be repeated. Two copper worlds met on a single sheet — and when the vermilion brush descended, something irreversible happened. That moment is gone. What remains is this.

Details

Technique — Copper plate etching (×2) · Aquatint · Soap Ground Etching · Caramel Ground Etching (original technique)
Size — 41 × 32 cm　(16.1″ × 12.6″)
Material — Copperplate paper, copper plate ink, vermilion sumi ink
Year — 2026
Edition — One of a kind · Unique work
Signed — Yes, by the artist

Important — Handling with Care

This work is on copperplate paper. Store in a dry environment away from direct sunlight and high humidity. Avoid folding or creasing the work.

Packaging & Shipping

Each artwork is carefully wrapped in PAT-certified archival tissue paper (ISO18916:2007) — the same standard used in museum and cultural heritage conservation — before being hand-packed by the artist in museum-quality archival packaging and shipped via DHL with full insurance and international tracking.

Domestic (Japan) — Yamato Transport or Japan Post, with tracking number.
International — DHL or EMS with international tracking and insurance. A tracking number will be provided after dispatch.

Delivered flat and unframed. For framing reference: a standard 16″ × 20″ (40 × 51 cm) frame with mat is recommended. Free worldwide shipping.

Certificate of Authenticity

A Certificate of Authenticity is included with this artwork. → Learn more about our Certificate of Authenticity

As each piece is a one-of-a-kind handmade artwork, we do not accept returns or exchanges.

One-of-a-kind / Handmade in Japan / Copperplate paper / Unframed

Prices are displayed in your local currency for reference. All orders are processed and charged in Japanese Yen (JPY).

A singular work of art — one of a kind in the world.

This is not a mass-produced object. It is a singular work, born from accumulated time and mastery.

The price reflects its rarity and the value of its creation.

This is art that chooses its owner — made for those who understand its essential worth.

A presence unlike any other, worthy of your space and your sensibility.

About the Artist

Yuriko Yuco Yoshikawa is both an artist and a Registered Nurse — a rare combination that shapes everything she creates.

For decades, she stood at the threshold between life and death, witnessing pain, dignity, and quiet moments of grace. She held the hands of those departing. She understood, more deeply than most, what it means to be alive.

When she set down her nurse's uniform and took up her brush, that knowledge did not leave her. It became her art.

Every work she creates carries that gaze — the gaze of someone who has truly seen what a human life is worth.

As a nurse, and as an artist — her deepest wish is to bring love and light to every person in the world.

Her works have been selected and awarded at over 15 international exhibitions across Japan, France, Spain, Monaco, and Italy. A formally recognised member of the Art Maison Selecting Committee (A.M.S.C.), Spain Headquarters — an international arts organisation spanning France, Japan, and Spain — her name is permanently inscribed on the monument "LA VOZ DEL ARTE PARA CALMAR EL MUNDO" (The Voice of Art to Calm the World), erected in Puebla de la Sierra, Madrid, Spain. Her work is featured in Art Maison Vol. 30, published in 2026.

Each work is one of a kind. Once sold, it is gone forever.
Additional award-winning works are available upon private inquiry.

View Artist Profile & Exhibition History

Questions Before You Purchase?

For high-value, one-of-a-kind works, we warmly welcome any questions you may have before placing your order — about the artwork, materials, shipping, or anything else. Please do not hesitate to reach out via our contact form or directly at info@yurikoyuco.com. We will respond within 2 business days, with care.

Please note that import duties, taxes, and customs fees are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the product price.