Junko Azukawa grew up in Toyama, Japan at the base of the central Japanese Alps, a region famous for the natural beauty of its landscape.

She started learning traditional Japanese calligraphy - Shodo at the age of five and has experienced the vast possibilities that calligraphy and Japanese ink painting - Sumie can express with just simple monotone brush strokes.

Since becoming a resident of Melbourne, Australia in 2005, Junko has brought her unique artistic talents and outlook to the Australian art scene. She started teaching Japanese calligraphy and painting with children and adults at numerous schools and organisations and also exhibited at a number of galleries in Australia and Japan. One of her artwork is now in the National Gallery of Victoria’s collection. In 2011 Junko started to use her art form with mental illness patients as a form of therapy with great compassion. She is also sought after in commercial design work for her skillful brushwork from bottle label design to restaurant interior design. She has had her illustrations published in the novel; NAVIGATIO authored by Australian writer Patrick Holland in 2014.

Junko is committed in sharing her Japanese culture in Australia. Together with a lifelong study of traditional calligraphy and ink painting, Junko has found peace and appreciation deep within and loves sharing with her audience the intimate relationship between mother nature and human nature through her brush.