CRSは、ブルックリンを拠点とするアーティスト、菊池あをみによる9作品の展覧会「MATTERS」を開催します。友禅絹の着物染めや繊細な布地で作られる彼女のよく知られた作品は、世界中のギャラリーや美術館で展示されてきました。
今回は、様々な自然環境のなかに、人工的なオブジェクトを使い、3層の絹のオーガンザでカエルを描いています。
展覧会は12月11日から2020年の2月29日まで。

菊池あをみは人生を無常、無我、苦として捉える仏陀の哲学からインスピレーションを 得て、革新的な芸術を制作するアーティストである。彼女はファッションデザイナーと してキャリアをスタートし、25年以上の着物の友禅染の経験を持つ。絹に対する強い 関心を持つ傍、女性らしさ、脆さを特徴とする繊維、ダウン、綿花などのマテリアルを 使った制作にも挑んでいる。彼女のアート制作は、二次元から三次元,インスタレーシ ョン、彫刻そして映像制作へとその領域を広げ続けてきた。BFA を京都造形大学より、 MFA を PRATT INSTITUTE より取得。

aomikikuchi.com
instagram.com/aomikikuchi

Medium: Triple-layered silk organza, Acid Dye, Pigment
Kikuchi dyed three layered pieces of silk organza simultaneously with acid dyes and pigments after drawing outlines with a gold color Sumi ink. She then steamed them to fix colors, pressed them, and separated them to be framed.

Method: Kikuchi’s original method based on Japanese Yuzen Kimono Dye
Kikuchi uses special brushes made for Yuzen Kimono dye to make beautiful gradations. The size of the brush varies from 3mm to 15cm. She innovated Yuzen kimono dye techniques to establish her original method with layered fabrics and without rice glue lines as water resistance. Instead of glue resistance, she manipulates dye liquid to prevent it from spreading outside of her hand-drawn gold Sumi outline.
Her method makes it possible to dye larger and layered fabrics.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work often uses creatures as a motif to express the heart of Buddha’s benevolence that human beings and all creatures are equally important.

Frogs in particular are special to me. I lived with the frog named “Bell” for several years. Bell eats a small larva twice a week, but otherwise he/she always sits like a Zen monk and does not move. Unlike us, he/she didn’t lie down or extend his/her legs. Bell ended his/her life and no more exists.

Humans have various desires, and if they are not fulfilled, they suffer. If they are fulfilled, they will be obsessed with new desires and will not be satisfied.

A jellyfish drifts in the waves and lives a life just to get food. We sometimes stop and look at the simple way of life in the aquarium and think its life is even enviable.

Goldfish were bred by humans to appear more beautiful. The desire to see beautiful things gave goldfish bigger eyes, fins and a fuller stomach than necessary. Human desires also afflict goldfish.

The message of my work is that the only way for us to live a mindful life is through understanding that desire creates pain, and there is nothing in the world that will never change and nothing that will last forever.