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Towards the last two months of my last visit to India in the spring of 2012, I encountered the Tibetan community in exile in India experiencing painful news of their people self-immolating in fire one after another in China-occupied Tibet. My experiences in the past visits in India (drawing a cremation site in Varanasi, documenting fire pits, cremation alters, and contemplating on life and death around fire) synchronized with this particular movement, an extreme way of ‘offering’ their bodies to ‘fire’ for asking freedom and peace.I could not help drawing large and small drawings as emotional response and with a sense of mourning.

After coming back to Vancouver, the self-immolation kept happening and I felt that my personal and professional task is not finished.

I have come back to India to continue to document and draw under the same theme. tomoyoihaya@hotmail.com

11 June 2018

Art Exhibition - 'Ninjye 共鳴・ 共苦＠AHHA Gallery, Gwangju, Korea June 15 to 30 2018




AHHA Gallery in Gwangju, Korea is hosting a solo exhibition of the recent works of mine, that are composed with the theme of migration, refugee crisis, and a cycle of life and death including a few works related with 'Drawings from Dharamsala". 

 The occasion came up and quickly organised by a passionate and well respected independent art writer/editor, Jin Yongju. He and his friends came to see both exhibitions at Wakayama Art Museum ( Tokyo) and Volvox Gallery ( in Tsu city, Mie) in this past March and April. Both visits were such special occasions and after some meaningful conversations, did he offer and organise the exhibition.

This exhibition will be a combination of works from both Wakayama Art Museum and Volvox Gallery. I will try to merge them into a new form of visual poems/thoughts - water, eyes, blue, small land(life)scapes - probably I will add a few drawings that I did while I was in Ladakh in this past May this time. By the way, according to Mr. Jin, the between the title and my name, it says 'to know Tibet" in Hangul.

My deep gratitude goes to Mr. Jin Yongju, his friends, and AHHA Gallery.

 アートニュースです。韓国の光州にある、アハギャラリーで６月に個展を開かせていただくことになりました。
最近のテーマである　亡命、難民クライシス、生きるということを中心に新しく日本での個展の為に今年制作したものに、’ダラムサラからの絵’のシリーズからも何点かくわえたものです。

この機会は　韓国の経験の深いアート•ライター兼エディターである　ジン•ヨンジュさんのご尽力で実現することになりました。彼は’ダラムサラからの絵’をずっとフォローしていてくださったようです。この度韓国の友人と一緒に、先３月と４月に　開催された東京の若山美術館と　三重の津市のヴォルボックスギャラリーの個展に韓国から来てくださいました。短い訪問の間にもとてもいいお話ができて　その後も会話がつづいていたのですが、今回このような運びになり心から感謝しております。

今回の個展は　若山美術館とヴォルボックスギャラリーで見せた作品を　空間に合わせて　再構築（というと　おおげさですが）して見せたいとおもっております。ちなみに　題と私の名前のあいだには　’チベットを知る’という一言がはいっているそうです。

 ハングルがわかる方、どうぞ案内 をご高覧下さい。