Yoshie Demizu | Muga’en

SYNONYMは、2023年10月9日から11月23日まで、日本の愛知県碧南市の無我苑で開催されたyoshie demizuの個展のプロデュースを担当いたしました。

展示のタイトルは「花と時」で、無我苑の年次アート展示プログラムの一環です。植物や花の儚い美しさに触発され、demizuは伝統的な日本の和紙をキャンバスとして使用し、和紙製作の過程で花を紙に取り込み、それは画家の筆遣いのように、時間の経過の概念を探求し、儚い瞬間とそれらを区切る謎めいた間隔の魅力を強調します。彼女の芸術的試みでは、芸術家は観客に、見える視線の奥に隠された美しさを解き明かす興味深い招待を提供しています。

yoshie demizuは1989年生まれ、フランスと日本を拠点にしたフラワーアーティストで、彼女のポートフォリオには空間デザインとフラワーデザインが含まれています。 彼女の芸術は、自然と人間との相互作用に対する深いつながりに根ざしており、demizuは和紙を媒体にして花のテーマを探求し続け、花の世界に存在する入念な美しさに対する考察と感謝を呼び起こします。 demizuは2018年にGaleria de Bellezaで初の個展を開催し、その後もグループ展への参加、松坂屋や丸善などのエキスポやデパートでの展示を行っています。

以下に、日本語と英語のエキシビション・ステイトメントをご紹介いたします。展示期間中、demizuは10月17日と22日にそれぞれ無我苑でアーティストトークを行いました。

SYNONYM was hired as the consultant for the production of Yoshie Demizu’s solo exhibition, hosted by Muga’en in Hekinan City in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, which took place between the 9th of October and the 23rd of November 2023.

Titled “Hana to Toki”, literally translates into “flowers and moments”, the exhibition is part of Muga’en’s annual art exhibition program. Inspired by the ephemeral grace of plants and flowers, Demizu employs the delicate, semi-transparent washi, a traditional Japanese paper as her canvas, during the washi-making process, she deconstructs and infuses flowers in the paper, akin to the strokes of a painter’s brush, in an attempt to explore the concept of time passage, accentuating the allure of fleeting moments and the enigmatic intervals that partition them. In her artistic endeavour, the artist extends an intriguing invitation to her audience to unravel the hidden beauty, concealed beyond the discernible gaze, nestled within the realm of blossoms.

Yoshie Demizu (b. 1987) is a floral artist based in France and Japan, with expertise spanning spatial and floral design in her portfolio. Her art is rooted in a profound connection with nature and a perpetual curiosity about the interaction between humanity and the natural world. Demizu continues to explore the theme of flowers, seeking fresh expressions through the medium of washi, all while evoking contemplation and appreciation for the intricate beauty found in the world of flowers. Demizu held her first solo exhibition at Galeria de Belleza in 2018 and in the following years she participated in group exhibitions and showcased in exposition and department stores such as Matsuzakaya and Maruzen in Japan.

Please find the exhibition statement in both Japanese and English below. During the exhibition period, Demizu held artist talk on the 17th and the 22nd of October in Muga’en respectively.

本展示は作家自身が花と向き合う過程で制作を重ねた作品群を中心に構成されています。フランスに滞在し、これまで以上に「花の命を預ること」について深く見つめ直した時間。花との対話は、時に深く暗闇に潜り、罪を背負うこともあれば、時に少女の頃のような一切の濁りのない幸福感を与えてくれます。

「花と刻」という展示名は、花の命や時間を預かり刻み込んだ花和紙作品の可能性を探る為につけたものです。 花の命を預かってまで、なぜ、表現をするのか?

_ この問いの答えに辿り着いた時、花は私をより自由にしてくれました。

制作には日本国内の廃棄予定だった花を中心に、 一部フランスの豊かな大地で生まれた植物が使われています。作品の元に来てくれた花、そして私をここに連れてきてくれた全ての花に感謝いたします。

The exhibition revolves around a series of artworks crafted by Demizu while engaging with flowers. It was a time when the artist was residing in France, during which she delved deeper into the idea of “entrusting life to flowers” than ever before. Conversations with flowers would at times take her into profound darkness, bearing the weight of sin, while at other times, they would bestow upon her an unadulterated sense of happiness, reminiscent of her girlhood.

The exhibition is titled “Hana to Toki”, it seeks to explore the possibilities of washi paper artworks that reflect the vitality and temporal nature of flowers.

What compels individuals to convey their sentiments through the embrace of a flower’s existence? When the answer to this question became apparent, the flower bestowed upon the artist an even deeper sense of liberation.

The works primarily use flowers that were designated for disposal within Japan, along with plants born on the fertile soils of France. The artist expresses gratitude to all the flowers that have come into the creation of the works as well as guiding and leading her throughout her career and life.