Her first interest in the beauty and enigma of flowers emerged when Hagio saw the rose x-ray photo taken by Dr. Dain Tasker in 1930. It was the pivotal encounter that started her journey as a jewellery artist.
‘Invitation to the Secrets of Flowers’ is a play on the beauty and enigma of flowers.
In a long global history of human fascination and interest flowers have been elevated to great levels of symbolism becoming expressions of celebration, courtship or sympathy, connecting flowers to art and daily life, funerary rites, religion, and wider ceremonies.
It may be that humans commune with flowers, as flowers have the life cycle that evokes our life. The endowment of flowers with mysterious and supernatural properties, in particular of rebirth, associated with human kinds ultimate desire for immortality or revival remains strong.
Hagio's jewellery engages with this mystic beauty and power of flowers, seeking to empower her wearers. Hagio put it this way,
“Today, women all over the world are superbly fighting, And I offer my floral works that are expressive about who they are, as creative weapons and tools for these women. Though we still have universal conversation around flowers, I don’t want to do standard conversation about flowers. I am seeking the new representations of flowers with my works. And do you know there is a group of makers of art and dance about the kinds of cultural practice in Japan? Great women are creating the new types of cultural practice. In the same way, I am seeking to create new representations with flowers, and my works will be an access point for strong women all over the world. I am a part of this time, I am a part of group of women who have succeeded in great things, who are looking for ways to reimagine how they look, and I am a part of that process”
Her pieces are created in silver and gold using artisanal and traditional Japanese techniques known as Tankin and Chokin*. This allows Hagio to explore in metal fragile or enigmatic forms inspired by the anatomy flowers creating jewellery that seeks to deliver its own mysterious secrets.
* Tankin is a sort of forging, Chokin is one of the techniques used to create metal works in detail by using different shapes of pencil-like, iron-made using tools and a tiny hammer.
