Woman, Mukade and Little Deaths
2024 | March 21st, 2024
Solo Exhibition | Studio Kura | Itoshima, Japan
Following an artist residency at Studio Kura, Women, Mukade, and Little Deaths marks a site-specific intervention within a remodeled Shinto Shrine. Set in the heart of Itoshima, the exhibition introduces contemporary international practice into a space traditionally reserved for the sacred, creating a bridge between local heritage and modern painterly exploration.
The installation centers on two monumental oil paintings, measuring each 1,6 x 2 meters, suspended unstretched from the shrine walls as a direct nod to the traditional presence of Noren throughout Itoshima. By hanging the canvases like traditional fabric dividers, the works function as architectural thresholds, inviting viewers to navigate the space as both a gallery and a sanctuary. This fluid presentation echoes the Little Deaths — moments of transition, release, and the blurring of boundaries.
The exhibition is grounded in the communal rituals of the site, presented alongside a gift of tea and food. This sensory integration transforms the viewing into a shared experience, softening the friction between the large-scale oils, bright colours, and the ancient wood of the shrine, while honoring the hospitality inherent to Japanese culture.
