Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
I’m back for a check-in and really enjoying the beautiful fall leaf colors. Last weekend I had the chance to once again interpret for the photographer Aya Fujioka at Seizan Gallery. This time she was joined by fellow artists Marina Berio (interdisciplinary) and Asa Hiramatsu (painter) to discuss their current exhibition Awai.
I had not been aware of the concept of 間 (awai, though commonly read as aida, ma, or kan), which according to the exhibition information “is a classical Japanese term signifying an in-between realm or liminal space where two entities meet, overlap, or interact. It evokes the subtle boundary between dualities—light and shadow, self and other, reality and dream.” Via their various mediums, these artists’ works all straddle these boundaries in fascinating ways.
One concept that was especially interesting was “The Eternal Now,” which comes from Zen Buddhism and was discussed by Hiramatsu (whose “Seesaw” is pictured above). She finds inspiration from this teaching, which is the idea that an individual moment is not just a fleeting instant but also a timeless presence (now = forever). It can be hard to wrap your head around, but Hiramatsu described it as a pearl necklace made up of multiple nows that comprise the eternal. She referenced Fujioka’s “Life Studies,” her collection of photos featured in the exhibition that were created when Fujioka lived in New York from 2007-2012. During that time, Fujioka captured specific moments in her works that are both now and forever. As pictures they have an eternal quality, but when she looks at a particular photo it can take her back to that exact moment.
The exhibition will be on display through December 20, so please pay a visit. Also make sure to check out the Gallery Talk I interpreted at where the artists discussed awai’s relationship to their respective works.
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