On the
exhibitions in Korea Tomoyo
Ihaya
The works in this
exhibition are contemplative journals of one human being’s journeys through
India, Tibet, Taiwan and South Korea.
I migrated 20
years ago from Japan to Canada where, while not perfect, freedom of speech,
human rights and democracy are relatively protected. I took these rights for
granted until I grew close to people who struggled for them and bore suffering
and pain as a result. While I do not have the ability to fully experience the
sacrifice and pain they have gone through, I feel the urge to do something.
I first went to
India in 2005 and fell in love with the depth and complexity of the culture,
which inspired my first project on the theme of the cycle of life and death. I
have returned, like a nomad, every year since.
Early in my
visits, I met senior community members who escaped from Tibet to India during
the violent occupation of Tibet in 1959; to this day the suppression continues
to happen. This community taught me the power of compassion and empathy,
interconnectedness, resistance and a sense of humour.
When in India in
2012, I saw an image of a burning monk on the computer screen at a cyber café and
my heart and soul were deeply shaken by the occurrence. Somebody was willing to
sacrifice his or her life in such a painful way for the fight for human rights,
human dignity and the respect of others. I felt a quiet anger for the injustice
and an affection and sadness for my fellow human beings for we are
interconnected like woven threads.
I am not sure
why, but I could not stop drawings images about the deaths of these people.
Each time I learned about another person carrying out the same protest I drew
to remember them and in hope that someday nobody would have to go through this
personal sacrifice anymore.
My journey of
drawing the lost lives of Tibetans has taken me to other locations and
countries that have experienced similar turmoil in the struggle for freedom of
speech, human rights and democracy.
Last year (2018),
through the hard work of Korean art writer and editor, Jin Yongju, my work that
was exhibited in Tokyo and Tsu-City was exhibited in Gwangju Korea at the AHHA
gallery. Through a group of new friends
whom I met there with an immediate sense of bond, I learned about the major
uprising for democracy that happened in Gwangju in 1980. It was carried out by a large group of
students and civilians and as a result hundreds people (or more than 1000) were
massacred. These friends had empathy for my work because of the painful past. I
had a loss of words when I visited the cemetery of the victims and activists
who were brutally killed due to speaking out for the rights for freedom and
democracy. By the end of the visit, I suggested making an art video about
Gwangju and humanity. This visit
resulted in the exhibition in Cheonan and Gwangju this year (2019).
This year I was
in Taiwan in March to install an exhibition and participate in an artist residency
as a part of Born2BeFree Festival.
Similar events occurred to my visit to Korea. On this occasion, Tsung li
Yang, a Taiwanese activist for human rights and democratic freedom whom I met
at the international conference for peace and democracy in Delhi (2018),
arranged for an exhibition in Taiwan. He felt empathy with an art video I
produced about self-immolation in Tibet
‘Eyes Water Fire’ that it was shown at the conference. During my stay in Taichung and Taipei city, I
met a group of people who educated me on the painful post World War II history
of Taiwan and the 228.1947 Massacre and the long lasted ‘White Terror’, during
which time countless people were arrested, tortured and lost their lives due to
an upraising. Taiwan has obtained a democracy
after, however, still struggles to keep democracy and freedom of speech.
I also came to
know about a Taiwanese hero known as the father of democracy Nylon Cheng, who
self-immolated in a protest in 1980. I visited the museum built in his honour
and met with his family.
I have been
sensitive, since I was a young, about Japan’s once occupation and violation of
human rights in Taiwan and Korea and the unresolved wounds resulting. However, I did not know about the post World
War II struggles in both countries and was shocked and ashamed that I did not
know.
The art I have
made since 2012 may be seen as social and political because of the subject
matters but it is also about transformation and reconciliation or simply,
empathy and love in visual language. As well, it is concerned with “the
contemplation on the cycle of living and dying “ that is my core motivation for
making art. These elements are acts of protest. Anything made from
empathy and love is the best weapon against injustice, greed and violence.
In my works there are many
eyes, blue legs and hands, sky lanterns, burned holes, a tree, a little ship,
and a warship covered with eyes and sprouts. All these elements are poetic
metaphors for the history of humanity in Gwangju, Taiwan, Tibet and all over in
the world. The creation of them comes from feeling, witnessing and praying.
They represent humanities interconnectedness, hope, the cycle of life, death
and new life. As a collective journey, through these images, I would like the
viewer to find her/his own poems, stories and thoughts about what to live for
and how to live.
I conclude with a
phrase by Nylon Cheng:
“Flowers bloom
from wounds.”
Like May flowers.
Tomoyo Ihaya
