Artist Text
Shikoku is home to many forests and some of Japan's most famous first-class rivers, such as the Yoshino and Niyodo Rivers, and the culture of handmade washi paper has developed in many areas since ancient times.
Fascinated by the smoothness and beauty of this paper, I have been creating and presenting art works using the "kiri-e" method.
Since around 2016, I have been developing installations using the entire space with artworks and lighting under the theme of "something that can only be created in a certain place" and "harmony".
My participation in the Setouchi International Art Festival and the Yamanami Art Festival led me to want to communicate the history, climate, and customs of each region through art, and I will present "Yumehamu" in the fall of 2022. The motif of the work is the baku, a spirit animal famous for eating nightmares, but also believed to eat iron, copper, and weapons.
The history of mankind has always been marked by "wars," "disasters," and "plagues". Even today, with the development of medicine, pandemics occur, wars break out, and the world is changing at a dizzying pace. Thinking back to the time when the baku was created, I believe that it was a form that embodied the wishes and thoughts of people who desired peace and tranquility.
This exhibition will feature new works based on such folk tales and fables, as well as small works with motifs of nature and creatures.
November 2022 Hasegawa Takako