---

Commentary by Ron Moss

Haiga Showcase: Elisa Theriana

Viewing Elisa’s haiga, right away we are dazzled by her keen observations. She presents high quality pictures, and the varied fonts and placement of the poems feel deeply considered—her designs always contribute to the fusion of words and images.

• In her haiga with the black-and-white train image, the blurring of the background gives us the feeling of movement, which mirrors the sense of being “lost in translation.”

• With the “sisters” haiga, we are deeply drawn by the colours and textures of the flowers—the poetry itself seems to blossom, carrying a deeply felt emotional message.

• The two other haiga, “still night” and “seagull’s cry,” show us beautiful images that obviously have a deeply felt meaning to the poet. She expresses that emotion with great clarity: We can also know her world and rejoice in a life of wonder and discovery.

Elisa sees deeply, and goes to places with haiku and senryu that make us stop to think—the mark of a truly successful collaboration of words and images.

Elisa explains in her own words:

My involvement with art just began in 2015. Photography led the way, and two years later I started my haiku journey. Both are cherries on top of my busy life as computer programmer.
Ron Moss’s haiga have always been an inspiration to me. I sincerely think I still have so much to learn, and if someone asks how I make my art, I would tell them, “I just do it with the joy and wonder of the beginner’s mind.”