By Masako Sato
I recently visited the IMA2017 show at Tokyo University of the Arts (TUA). It’s the art center’s end of the year exhibition. TUA is considered by many to be the best national institute for arts and music. It boasts a strong global reputation with illustrious alumni such as Tsuguharu Foujita, the famous Japanese-French painter and printmaker; Sakamoto Ryuichi, the versatile Japanese musician, composer, writer, actor and winner of an Academy Award, BAFTA, Gammy and two Golden Globe awards; and Murakami Takashi, a Japanese contemporary artist and painter who has also ventured into commercial media such as animation.
This year, there were only 22 freshmen accepted in the Inter-Media Arts department, with each presenting quite unique projects. Here are four interesting artists that caught my eye:
Emiri Nomura
Title: “Let’s go to the beach- End of The World”
“While knowing that our dreams exist somewhere on the horizon, I go home every day. Yet, with the passing of time - the house, all memories, and our families will eventually disappear. With the vanishing of the house, it begins to resemble the sea. The sand that seems to have seeped in through the curtains is actually nowhere to be found”, Emiri Nomura proposes.
Mai Nunotani
Title: “How about you see?”
This installation was born through frequent visitations with a woman diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is a mental disorder where an individual gets fixated on one or more perceived flaws/ defects of their body, although this flaw may be minor or nonexistent to others.
The mismatch between the woman and the external environment is significant, as the woman feels that her face and body are grossly disfigured and fat.
Her dilemma is that she wants to be understood, but fails to gain understanding from others, and has trouble communicating her thoughts. In order to raise awareness, the artist decided to create a piece that will enable observers to “experience” the disorder themselves.
When standing in front of the piece, it tracks and blurs the face of the viewer. As the face is tracked, the fan set at the back of the screen further distorts the projected image. There is also a distorted mirror on the side.
Nana Kawabata
Title: The Golden Composition
The theme of this painting is all about the placement. If I put myself in the upper position I will naturally thrive at whatever I do. Yet, if I am stuck in a lower position, I struggle to elevate and perhaps will even be lost.
Yumi Mita
Title: Genesis
Another Inter-Media freshman, Yumi Mita’s “GENESIS” is worth mentioning as well. An oblong painting hangs roughly on the white wall, showing a silver woman sparkling day and night as she rests on what seems to be the swirling sea. If she has her eyes open, she may see a gigantic, indignant hand reaching from above. A figure also appears to be falling from the sky, and yet the woman lays there nonchalant — confidently relaxed. When asked what motivated her to paint this piece, Ms. Mita simply said “the strong, amazing women around [her].”