An artist who "sews" leaves and shells in tune with the time that has passed.
(TOP image) "Memories of the Mountain" (detail) 2019-2020 Petals, leaves, branches, fruits, seeds, fruit skins, thread, cloth, photographs (set of 5), artist's collection Photography: Shintaro Yamanaka [Qsyum!]
A world of art to visit, see and feel
File.30 "Mariko Sase Exhibition: Sewing Life"
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)
Sewing life.
I was intrigued by the title of the exhibition scheduled for this spring at the Yokohama Museum of Art. It sounds like a heavy world, but the accompanying images of the works also give off a sense of simple cuteness.
First of all, what exactly is this?
The exhibition was postponed due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, so the summer ended without the mystery being solved.
And finally, the time has come to solve the mystery. The "New Artist Picks: Mariko Sase Exhibition | Sewing Life" has been announced!
I was given the opportunity to speak to artist Sakurai Mariko ahead of the opening on Saturday, November 14th, so I headed off with a pounding heart.
Sase was originally interested in the fashion industry. He aspired to learn about "manufacturing" after feeling the difficulty of actually creating what he imagined. However, when he went on to study at the University of Tsukuba, the crafts department of the College of Art and Design did not offer textiles, so he had no choice but to choose woodworking. It's quite a unique life.
"Naturally, I was surrounded by people who made tableware, chairs and other things that were beautiful for utility. So I wondered what I could do, and I discovered that sewing was the answer. I grew up with my grandmother as an embroidery teacher, so I wanted to try doing the same thing my beloved grandmother always did - sewing."
And so the "Sewing Wood" series was born.
* "Sewing Wood" series exhibition view Photo: Shintaro Yamanaka [Qsyum!]
"I like things that have aged, like tree rings, and things that give you a sense of the passage of time. I use a drill press to make holes that trace the tree rings and grain, and then I sew while following those holes. I sew while thinking about the time that the tree lived, and empathizing with it. I think I enjoy playing with time in this world."
Since it is made from natural materials, sometimes the bark of the tree peels off or chips during the process, but even those pieces are carefully sewn together with needle and thread.
"Sometimes pieces get chipped along the way, but I think sewing them back together is an interesting task."
Mr. Sase, who grew up in Sashima, Yokosuka, loves the sea and has a lot of shells stored in his home as well as pieces of wood. Of course, he also sews with shells.
"I find it interesting what I sense from materials, so I end up picking up all sorts of things. My family has warned me to be careful, because there may be something inside them (laughs), but as I work on them to make a piece, I feel like the story that the material holds is melting into them, and I find that sensation fascinating as well."
* "Shell Prototype" (detail) 2020 Shell, thread Photo: Shintaro Yamanaka [Qsyum!]
When lined up next to these, the works used in the direct mail for the exhibition seem to give a slightly different impression. This is because they are a record of the time spent with her grandmother, who passed away last year. Her grandmother's favorite sweatshirt, flowers blooming in the garden, mint leaves, her beloved cat's fur, and her grandmother's hair. The work is said to be a record of her feelings of "thank you" along with many memories.
* "Day of the Thread-2" (detail) 2019 Petals, leaves, silver thread, hair, cat fur, grandmother's sweatshirt Artist's collection Photography: Shintaro Yamanaka [Qsyum!]
"Flowers and leaves may eventually fade and crumble, but I want to leave the 'traces of hands' that were used when I sewed them together. I brought the works to the museum in the spring, so the colors and textures may have changed if you look at them now, but those changes are also interesting. Because they are very private works, I was hesitant to make them public, but I hope that it will give those who see them some opportunity to think about something."
During the postponement of the exhibition, Sase gave birth to her second child. When I visited her, she was working on a new piece based on an idea that came to her mind when she gave birth. The material she chose was the cotton dress she wore when she gave birth.
"At the moment of birth, there is a lot of bleeding. I think many people have a scary image of blood, but I felt a great sense of relief at that moment. I felt a sense of relief that the baby had come out safely along with the baby inside my belly. And that blood also changes over time. I keep stitching up these feelings."
Sase has been sewing pieces of wood, flowers, shells, and memories of deceased family members. Her next creative theme may be the new budding "life."
New Artist Picks
Mariko Sase Exhibition｜Sewing Life
[Dates] November 14th (Sat) - December 13th (Sun) 11:00-18:00
*Café Ogurayama is open from 10:45 to 18:00
[Venue] Yokohama Museum of Art, Art Gallery 1, Café Ogurayama
[Closed] Thursday
[Fee] Free
[Organizer] Yokohama Museum of Art (Yokohama Arts Foundation)
[Cooperation] GALERIE PARIS, Café Ogurayama
[Inquiries] 045-221-0300 (Yokohama Museum of Art)
