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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 October 2023

Solo exhibition at Mie Garo, Japan


 


少し早めのお知らせです。十一月一日から五日まで三重県津市の三重画廊で個展をさせていただくことになりました。ほとんどの作品は春から夏いっぱい、迷ったり行き詰まったり光を見たり、一喜一憂しながら制作したものです。穴倉スタジオの床に這いつくばって制作した過程を思い起こすと、DMの山本賢司さんのお言葉は身に余るもので、恐縮しております()。パンデミック以来遠くなってしまったインドやラダックの風景や、宮澤賢治の世界観、尹東柱の詩が, 心から染み出して紙面に出てきてくれたように感じます。画力がついていっているかは?ですが。御忙しい毎日と察しますが、お近くにいらした際に、ご高覧いただけたら幸いです。English: This is a little early notice. I have a solo exhibit at Mie Gallery from  November 1st to the 5th in Tsu city, Mie ken, Japan.10 to 6 ( last day 10 to 5)18-19 Chuo, Tsu city, Mie ken, JapanMost of the work were produced during spring to summer in my YVR cave.It was quite a journey: joy and sorrow, stuck, and seeing threads of light.Landscapes of India and Ladakh, Kenji Miyazawa's view of the world, poems by Yun Dong-ju seemed to submerge naturally onto the surface of paper all together.Many of you live quite far, friends, but if you happen to be coming to this direction, please stop by.







Lights on the Earth

 

                                                                                                        copyright Tomoyo Ihaya 2023


Deeply saddened to hear yet another violence started. 

Babies, children, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandmothers.

Animals, birds and insects.

Flowers, plants and trees, those trees of wisdom

So many lives exploded in a second by a weapon created by human and operated by somebody's hand.


Who created those weapons? Who are making money on war?  Who are crying?


Civilians, who must have wished peaceful resolutions, freedom, and just a normal happy life at 'home' under the sky and the stars, lose their lives in flash.  

Please give safe passages and refuges for them, without taking their lives. 

                                                                                                copyright  tomoyo ihaya 2023