Japanese artist unit sara (@sara2626_if) is a duo composed of photographer Arai and illustrator sako. Arai takes photographs and her boyfriend, sako, draws illustrations, creating many attractive works of art.

A photo of a sunset...

Such was the caption on a work sara posted on their Twitter account on September 18th, 2022.

Using Arai's beautiful photo of a setting sun, with light blue, pink, yellow and purple hues reflected in the water, sako added a simple sketch that elevated the scene into a touching work of art:

A hand and a line turned the setting sun into the spark of a traditional Japanese firework known as 線香花火 senkō hanabi, one of the icons of Japanese summer.

Unlike big fireworks designed to delight with impactful lights and sounds, lighting a senkō hanabi is a quiet and subdued experience. Made of thin shafts of twisted tissue paper with one end containing a few grains of a black gunpowder, they silently spray an array of delicate branching sparks. Patience is required when holding them, as movement will cause the small molten head to drop. They're usually enjoyed after all the big fireworks are done. Through their beauty and fragility, they are sometimes seen as a celebration of the ephemerality and therefore the preciousness of life and the happy moments it can bring.

Sako's sketch added an emotional aspect to the already amazing sunset. Perhaps it was Arai's beautiful photo that sparked sako's imagination.

This beautiful work of art has captured the hearts of many people, eliciting comments such as:

Incidentally, this photo was also posted on Twitter in July 2020, when Arai and sako were still just friends.

Arai and sako have gone from friends to lovers.

Therefore, you could say that this work of art has a special place in their hearts.

Follow sara's Twitter account if you'd like to see more amazing examples of their co-creation at work.