JAN.10-FEB. 28 2023
These three works will be displayed in this exhibition. Woman2021 was created to express that how we see things is greatly influenced by our past experiences and social conventions. Born for exercise, sneakers are now widely used in everyday life. I think that anyone can appreciate the comfort of wearing it. However, in the old days, there were footwear that had to be worn even if it was painful and heavy, such as Oiran's clogs. I hope that by comparing the two, we can share the desire to further advance women's human rights, which have been improved through the efforts of many women.
Title: Oiran Clog
Year:2022
Media: Wool Fiber
Dimension: 24x24x10 cm
The history of human clothing, which began with wearing a piece of cloth, has achieved its purpose such as protection against the cold, but has not progressed in the direction of wearing comfortable clothing. Rather, it represented wealth, authority, and was used to pursue beauty. People still wear high heels or tie belts around their waists to endure the pain in order to look beautiful. This work is modeled after the clogs worn by high-class Japanese courtesans called Oiran. The real one is made of wood, but I made it with wool fibers.It is formed by intertwining wool fibers, so it loses its shape once it is loosened. In this work, I express the fragility of the substance. There used to be a parade called Oiran Dochu, and the total weight of the costumes worn by the Oiran at that time was over 30kg, including the 7kg high clogs. It is so heavy that a normal person cannot stand on it. Chanel liberated women from corsets and bonnets. Thanks to the efforts of her and many other pioneers, we now have the freedom to choose comfortable clothing. We must respect cultural identities and traditions and freely express beauty and wealth through clothing. However, I think the practice of forcing women and people in certain professions to dress up in painful costumes should be stopped.
Title: Woman 2022
Year: 2022
Media: Wire, Fiber
Dimension: 70 x 12 x 10cm (27”x5”x4”)
In 2018, I created a work titled woman. When I thought about the differences in race and gender, I realized that if we remove the skin and muscles from the human body, we all have the same ivory bones. And when I put long hair on the skeleton, it looked like a woman to me. I was surprised that I myself have a fixed idea that I have cultivated over many years. This time, after weaving the shape of the skeleton with wire, I planted each hair on the scalp. People who see this work will think that it is a female skeleton from the title and appearance. We feel like we are seeing the real picture as it is, but we are often influenced by things like prejudices that our brain derives from experience. Recognizing this will lead to awareness of various contradictions in modern society, and will lead to the realization of a better society.
Title: Memory- Sneaker
Year: 2022
Media: Wool Fiber
Dimension: 26 x 10 x10 cm
After making Oiran's clogs, I modeled this piece on my worn-out sneakers. Looking at the history of clothing, luxury was valued as a symbol of wealth and power rather than comfort. People have endured wearing high heels and corsets to look beautiful even though their legs and waist hurt. The Oiran clogs I made before this work are so tall and heavy that ordinary people cannot walk on them. In modern times, the code of clothing has become much looser. In creating this work, I observed my sneaker, and was surprised to find that a single sneaker had a variety of designs as well as functionality. I think sneakers that can be stylish without pain are a good new perspective.