Aomi Kikuchi
Japan
I make sculptures, wall pieces and garments using textiles and found objects to explore Japanese aesthetics and the philosophy of Buddha. “Wabi-Sabi”, the beauty found in imperfections, and ”Mono-no-aware”, the feeling of sympathy for changing or perishing phenomena or substances, are two philosophical aesthetics that define my work. Closely related to the philosophy of Buddha, these can be summarized in three key words: impermanence, insubstantiality, and suffering.
With freedom and flexibility, I combine acquired knowledge and textiles such as dyeing, weaving, sewing, and knitting, to create works that transcend genres and conventional rules. In addition, I experiment by destroying and damaging materials and actively use scraps and junk that come from both my working practice and the environment around me. I utilize "deconstruction" via a series of construction, destruction, and reconstruction to mirror natural life cycles. Whatever is created in this world grows, ages, breaks, and dies. Life is revision: When one thing dies, another is produced in evolution, in infinity. Even suffering doesn’t last forever. Substances exist, yet constantly change their shapes due to chemical reactions. Inspired by this phenomena, I practice it with my materials. And in making (and re-making) I am advocating, as Buddha does, for a transient and intangible world. The activities I engage with as an artist will continue beyond me, infinitely while changing their modes. My work addresses infinity as the succession of fleeting and brittle activities. I create art to inspire dialogue and reflection on these concepts through materials and aesthetic philosophies.
Cage of Life
1. What’s your background?
Cultural Background
I was born and grew up in a historical castle town called Iga, the Weaetern part of Japan. It is known as the birthplace of ninja and was also home to Basho Matsuo, the poet who invented the haiku, the shortest form of poetry. The haiku of Basho themed “monono-aware” which is a feeling of sympathy for changing or perishing phenomena or substances such as the seasons and all living things. Iga ware is used for tea ceremony as it represents “wabi-sabi”which brings value and respect to imperfect things. During my childhood, I was immersed in such unique Japanese aesthetic concepts.
First experience
I've always loved drawing and making things since I was a kid, but my first encounter with "art" was in middle school. Mr. Horikawa, an art teacher, was a quiet person and taught me basic knowledge about painting, such as observation, how to determine the proportion of a work, perspective, and how to mix colors. He always appreciated my work and gave me the best results.
Education and Career Background
My first career started as a fashion designer. After getting married, I learned craft techniques such as Yuzen kimono dyeing, Japanese embroidery, Kumihimo (braids), Japanese painting, ceramics, bisque dolls, and porcelain painting. I studied at Kyoto University Art and Design to deepen my knowledge of dyeing and art. I have been working in the modern art and craft world of Japan for nearly 30 years and my work gradually shifted to contemporary art. I received an MFA from the Pratt Institute. Last year I belonged to the Residency of Textile Arts Center and have acquired textile techniques such as spinning, weaving, machine knitting, and silkscreening.
2. What does your work aim to say?
Buddha teaches us that there is nothing that will last forever under the same conditions. There is eternity in our idea, and the four inevitable human suffering that the Buddha advocates: birth, aging, sickness, and death are eternal facts until science and technology find the perfect solution.
However, each condition does not continue in the same state. And the reality we see and feel is the image in the retina, and the information processed by the brain's biased preferences. Nonetheless, human beings cling to these realities, and that attachment causes suffering. I want to propose through my work that by understanding and accepting the transience, flimsiness, and suffering of this world, people can reduce craving, realize that they are living here now, and appreciate it.
When humans are said to become like Almighty Gods through the development of science and technology, I think the important thing is humility. The Buddha preached that all living things are equally important. I would like to use the creatures that humans find annoying and unpleasant as the subject matter of my work, and encourage them to think about the arrogance of human intentions.
3. How does your work comment on current social or political issues?
Since the civilization of agriculture, humans have worked hard to live as good a life as possible. Today, people in developed countries enjoy a convenient and physically satisfying life and technology. Science and technology are trying to take people to new dimensions beyond their imagination, without stopping progress. Capitalism has made people believe that they can get what they want by working hard and making money. However, people's desires are infinitely swelling, and as long as they have something they want but haven't got, they will always live unsatisfied. Science and technology have studied and provided many solutions to human problems such as poverty, hunger, war, aging and death. Nonetheless, the reality is that Bhutan has the highest happiness index, not the USA or Japan.
My work is delicate. There is no durability or permanence. For instance, my dyed work, which fades when exposed to light. The sculptures lose shape when immersed in water, and the installations will move in even the most gentle wind. I create objects that can remind us to live with the same vulnerability and unreliability that defines our human existence in order to preserve the environment around us.
Through my work, I intend viewers to recognize the finiteness and fragility of substances. I also aim for people to think more freely by releasing themselves from possessing a fixed value. Materials that are used as natural dyes and fibers for human convenience are actually a vital life. If we could think from under other people’s skin, we would have compassion and reduce our greed, leading us to a mindful world.
4. Who are your biggest influences?
Itchiku Kubota, a craftsman of Yuzen dyeing and a globally acclaimed artist known for his Tsujigahana kimono dye method (a revival of the medieval method) is among the most influential artists in my work. While I was familiar with his famous, beautiful works before, it wasn’t until I encountered his private dyeing school accidently and joined his class that I came to understand how deeply his creations would affect me. My experience learning Yuzen dyeing from a great master made a tremendous and meaningful impact at a pivotal point in my career.
Kubota was dispatched to the battlefield during World War II and later detained in Siberia. While many comrades died, he survived being encouraged by the beauty of the Siberian sunset. He announced “Itchiku Tsujigahana” at the age of 60. I was inspired by his artistic mind, especially how he sustained his strong enthusiasm and passion against his work when he was not able to be immersed in art. I really respected his work and I pursued my own artistic endeavors rather than imitating his work.
DimSum Suffering
5. How has your art evolved over the years?
I have always been amazed by the process and beauty of craft. In particular, I became mesmerised by Yuzen dyeing because it is produced through the comprehensive work and exclusive skills of many craftsmen. I wanted to master all of the stages of these techniques, absorbed in learning the divisional processes and the secret techniques of craftsmen.
Prior to studying at Pratt MFA, I worked as a textile artist pursuing "beauty" and "technique" for a long time in the world of Japanese modern art and craft. In graduate school I learned that artwork is not the same definition as beautiful and skillful work. Industrial products are beautiful and finely crafted, but because they have no internal meaning, they are not works of art. This perception completely changed the way I work and now I work in line with my inner quest. For example, questions are about the meaning of life, the conventional way of thinking, and the social issues that surround us.
During an era where we are very concerned with the environment, many people respond by bridging their unneeded objects to be recycled instead of to the landfill but still these actions are done by someone other than the owner of the object. As a proactive reworking of a new norm, I am recycling the object in my home, the place where the object has its life. I believe that even shredded paper from the wrapping purpose as a gift has its own story as well as a relationship with my life. Each thing I encounter comes to me for a certain reason, which makes it a stronger material than from any material shop. The Japanese have long thought that objects have souls. Based on this idea, craftsmen treat their tools carefully and maintain them well, and the custom of needle offerings is to pray for repose of needles just like praying to deceased humans. My response to this practice is that I would like to actively incorporate objects as art materials, which are no longer able to play an original role such as a broken glass and worned out clothes and give new life to them.
6. What does art mean to you?
Conceptual art that emerged from the 1960s to the 70s emphasized new ways of thinking and findings of different values from the commonly prevailed ideas. The concept was prioritized in the work rather than beauty and techniques. Since then, contemporary art in the world has been following this vein. Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, and Takashi Murakami are noticed as contemporary artists from Japan. However, in Japan, art is translated as “biju-tu: beauty and techniques”or “geijutsu: skills and techniques.” Given these definitions , the traditional way of thinking still prevails in Japan and people tend to appreciate technical perfection and conventional beauty. Therefore, it is still challenging for the majority of Japanese to understand and evaluate contemporary art.
My work also used to pursue technique and beauty, and I did not fully understand the significance of contemporary art until I studied at Pratt MFA. Regarding only the immediate productivity and efficiency, we will come to a conclusion that there are no real benefits from art. Now I believe that contemporary art plays an important role in society in order to make the world a better place. Hiroyasu Wakabayashi: a creative director of Dentsu (Japanese advertising and public relation company) summarizes that artists have 4 major potentials for problem-raising, imagination, practicality, and co-creation, which can contribute to the branding, innovation, organizational revitalization, and vision. The business world has started to recognize these possibilities and to use the power of the artists. The power of artists are not only utilized in business, but can also be a solution to our fundamental problems such as race, gender, and environmental issues in unconventional ways. Artist’s creation of new visions and values gives us a chance to step into a new phase of the world. Living in this time, I would like to be an influential artist by enhancing myself to grow a deep insight.
7. What’s the most valuable piece of art to you?
I started to work with wastes from my work and my daily life. If I could give a new value to those wastes with my practice, those works would be the most valuable to me.
8. What’s next for you in the future?
When I started to work internationally in the contemporary art world, I hesitated to represent Japanese aesthetics and philosophy because I wanted to work more for a wider audience. I thought that being categorized as a “Japanese” or “Asian" artist would limit my artistic ability to a certain culture or society. However, while I was in New York City, I saw many artists motivated working on the personal identities and issues that they face such as race, immigration and gender. Although they are working on their personal matters, the outcome of their work encourages the people tackling the same issues all over the world and sharing new sights. I understood that working universally, artists should not avoid one’s unique cultural differences but rather start from their personal concern which can make general issues more concrete, clearer and deeper. I would like to work more positively confronting issues derived from my own cultural, political and philosophical background.
After long engagement of craft work, now I started to deconstruct “craft” and “dye,”
based on the fundamental question, “what is craft?,” “what is dye?”
Recently, I made a knitted kimono. Traditionally, kimonos are made by weaving.
Why so? The knitted kimono is too stretchable and organically curling. I can not harm woven kimono as it has an aura that untouchable perfectness created by warp and weft. But amazingly the feature of the knitted kimono made me feel that I could destroy it. I made various sizes of circle shaped holes in the knitted kimono and applied spider webs in the hole with attaching goose down bolls. I also kept scraps from this work and am making a shirt connecting pieces of scraps by sewing. Through these acts, I explore construction, destruction, and amending, and the boundary between craft and rug. For dyeing, I will be exploring the boundary between dyeing and staining. I will intentionally make rust and soil by applying materials which can damage fabrics such as iron,copper, mold, soil, blood, and foods that cause unintentional stains, which anyone experiences in their daily life.
Transition
