Put stones #1

inkjet print and silkscreen on Kakita
h: 76, w: 57 cm (sheet) / h: 81.5, w: 62, d: 3.5 cm (frame)
ed.20
2023

Delivery will be made after the exhibition (1/27/2024).


Nana Kuromiya, a painter, will try her first print work for her solo exhibition "Tama no Utsuwa" (2023.12.23 - 2024.1.27) at Gallery Nomart!
This is a series of three works: two based on photographic images of stones as symbols (Put stones #1, Put stones #3), and one based only on painted prints (Put stones #2). The production was a live experience, with the order and colors of the printing plates being adjusted while checking trial prints on site.
It was also a challenge to see how her paintings could be realized with reduced matiere.

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[Artist Statement (From the exhibition statement)]

"Tama" simply means spirit soul, and in modern times it is used synonymously with "tamashii". Originally, "tama" and "tamashii" had different meanings and were used differently, but there are still various views on the difference between the two and it is not completely clarified. However, both "tama" and "tamashii" are broadly understood as words related to very abstract concepts such as spirit and god, and have been used in Japan since ancient times.
"Tama no Utsuwa" represents something (a container) to which such "tama" or "tamashii" come close. What kind of container is a vessel that contains "tama," an abstract image that cannot be seen by the eye? If I were to express it in a concrete form, how would I depict it? Using ancient ruins, archaeology, and folklore texts as sources of inspiration, I will explore this question from a variety of perspectives, including form, color, scene, and material.

Nana Kuromiya