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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

14 August 2023

終わりでない終戦 The War was not over

                                To the Light                                       copyright tomoyo ihaya 2023

崖

戦争の終わり
サイパン島の崖の上から
次々に身を投げた女たち。

美徳やら義理やら体裁やら
何やら。
火だの男だのに追いつめられて。

とばなければいけないからとびこんだ。
ゆき場のないゆき場所
（崖はいつも女をまっさかさまにする）

それがねえ
まだ一人も海にとどかないのだ。
１５年もたつというのに
どうしたんだろう。
あの、
女。

１９６９年
石垣りん　『表札など』より


Cliff

The end of the war
from the top of a cliff on Saipan Island
Women who threw themselves one after another.

Virtue, duty, and appearance 
Whatever.
Chased by fire or men

They jumped in because they were forced to.
To a place where there is no place 
(Cliffs always turn women upside down)

You know what
Not a single woman had reached the sea yet.
It's been 15 years
What happened with them?

Woman。


1969

Poet: Ishigaki Lin 

From "Nameplate, etc."


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'To the Light - for women'  @Hsinchu Art Village,  2022  ( a part)  



"To the Light - for Women" close up                           copyright  tomoyo ihaya 2023