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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

27 June 2024

Report: 巡る道 久居アルスプラザ Paths That Go Around @Hirsai Ars Arts Plaza

The exhibition 'Paths That Go Around' By Kenji Najima and Tomoyo Ihaya took place at Hisai ARS Plaza from April 6th to April 14th, 2024.  

Please read attached statements below.

During 8 day exhibition, so many visitors came from hometown, other prefectures, and abroad such as Canada, Taiwan and Nepal. It was a special event for both of us. 

ARS Plaza kindly provided us a set of installation shots taken by Mr. Yutaka Matsubara recently, so I would like to share some here.  

去る2024年4月6日から14日まで、三重県津市久居の久居アルスプラザで「巡る道ーアルスの風装画作家展;名嶋憲児・井早智代」が開催されました。

詳細は下記の添付した小文をお読みください。

8日間の会期の間に遠方からも地元からもたくさんの方に来ていただき、心に残る機会となりました。



アルスプラザの担当の方から写真家松原豊さんによる画像を送っていただいたので、ここで数点シェアします(一部の写真はクロップしてあります)。



    


Statement:


The exhibition ‘Paths That Go Around’ by Kenji Najima and Tomoyo Ihaya takes place at Hisai ARS Plaza from April 6th to April 14th, 2024. 

 

The exhibition will feature collaborative and individual artist works done over the the past two years as well as new works on paper made by both artists in Inomachi, Kochi Prefecture last November. The paper, some experimental and other authentic, were produced under the generous and gifted guidance of the papermaking master, Mr. Ryoji Tamura.

 

Both artists have lived and produced art works in many different locations for nearly three decades.Their paths as artists were never straight, often off road, but gradually they returned to the core question, “how should we and why do we live to make art”, hence, the exhibition’s subtitled Paths That Go Around’. They hope visitors will have an unique interaction with each art work for the work represents a rich accumulation of their past experiences, life passages and contemplation.

________________________________________________________________________ 

 

We may not be aware, but

We always are standing on a path

This path is nature full of wonders

Also we are the path itself, being born after many miracles

In the midst of that is the daily life

My expression is contemplation with beauty of life

 

-Kenji Najima

___________

 

I’ve been on many of journeys, and have been making artwork for 30 years.

In India, where I travelled the most, I made friends with many Tibetan and Ladakhi people. 

Tibetan and Ladakhi people walk around temples and Buddhist pagodas, almost every day, chanting mantras so the world will overflow with peace and compassion. As I walked with them, thoughts of the cycle of life and death and its continuum accompanied the act.

 

The works on display are made while thinking of friends, of the places I inhabited, as

well as the countless people I have not met, both near and far. I drew their faces and their lands because their way of life greatly influenced my way of life and the making of art. 

They have lived unbearably hard lives however they transform their hardships into empathy, compassion, and a strong spirit; they stand with their feet well grounded to the earth.

 

 

-Tomoyo Ihaya



「巡るみち」に寄せて


この度「アルスの風」の挿画を2022年の夏号、秋号と連続して掲載していただいたご縁で、「久居アルスプラザ」のギャラリーで二人展を開催させていただくことになりました。

展示ではそれぞれの作品の他、2年ほど取り組んできた共同制作の作品を展示します。また昨年11月、 長年お世話になっている紙漉き職人の田村亮二さんのご指導のもと、高知県のいの町でそれぞれが漉いた紙を使った新作も発表いたします。

 

それぞれが違う場所で、早30年余り、制作しながら探求してきた「生きる」という道、その積み重ねである道はまっすぐでなく巡り巡って原点に回帰するという意味を込めて「巡る道」としました。

 

_____________________________________

 

私たちは知らず知らずのうちに
巡る道に立っています
この道は不思議にちた自然であり
奇跡の重なりで生まれた私たち自身でもあります
その渦中である日常と
生きているうつくしさを見つめました

 

名嶋憲児

_____________________________________


 

旅を重ねながら制作を続けて、気づけば30年になりました。

 

一番旅したインドではたくさんのチベットとラダックの人たちと友達になりました。彼らは毎日のようにお寺や仏塔の周りをこの世の中が慈悲で溢れるようにマントラを唱えながら右回りに巡ります。ご老体たちと共に歩いているうちに生と死の循環、心の永続性をこの行為に重ねるようになりました。

 

今回展示してある作品は旅し棲息した土地の友人たちとその地の歴史を、また数えきれぬ命を思って作ったものです。彼らと彼らの土地を描いたのは、彼らの生き方が私の生き方に大きな影響を与えたからであり、想像を絶する苦境に屈せず、苦境を共感と慈悲、強靭な精神に昇華させ、足を大地につけ生きてきた人たちだからです。

 

ぜひ心を自由にして想うままに拙作と会話してくださることを願います。

 

井早智代  

 

 

 

(左)集積   (右)水路  (L) Accumlation    (R) Channels            copyright: Kenji Najima/Tomoyo Ihaya

名嶋憲児・井早智代共同制作作品

Collaborative works by Kenji Najima and Tomoyo Ihaya


                        

 

















   







      


左より:

聖山

涙を集めるアハマッド    

リンチェン・ドルマ 

空と海と丘と詩 

 From Left:  Sacred Mountain

                    Ahmad Collects Tears

                    Ama Rinchen Dolma

                    The Sky, the Sea, the Hills, and the Poetry     


By Tomoyo Ihaya   


copyright: Tomoyo Ihaya



       スケッチ・棲息地         

       Visual Note - Habitats           
   
       By Tomoyo Ihaya

       copyright: Tomoyo Ihaya