"What you see is not all there is. "

INTERVIEW WITH NODOKA YAMAURA

── “ART FOR THOUGHT" is currently holding your (Nodoka Yamaura’s) solo exhibition from July 27 (Sat) to August 29 (Thu), 2024. In this exhibition, you are showing new works that explore, with a contemporary sensibility, the cyclic world that you’ve come to see since your encounter with washi paper and your move to Tokushima. First of all, please tell us about your encounter with washi.

In 2019, I had an encounter with Awa Washi paper in Tokushima. In the winter of that year, I participated in an artist-in-residence program organized by Awagami Factory and was moved by the creation of a large piece of washi paper. Until then, I had only known a finished sheet of paper, but when I learned the story of how washi is made, I got goosebumps knowing that many people's hands go into making a sheet of paper.

── And you've even moved to the city.

Yes, I have. I decided to move because I thought this was an environment that I could not find in Tokyo, and by a fortunate chance, I am now involved in the production of Awa Washi paper.

── What do you feel as an artist while touching washi as an object during its production?

I feel the "presence" of the material in the raw materials of washi grown in nature. Because no two materials are the same, I think we can develop a sense of facing "each and every moment.”

── That "presence" occupies an important position in this exhibition, doesn't it?

I believe that there is a 'presence' in this world that should be right in front of us, but is invisible to our eyes. I feel that "what we see is not all there is.” And there are various ways to feel it.

The concept for this exhibition was born out of seeing the cherry blossoms at night. I had the exact opposite feeling of "fear" for what I thought would be "beautiful" in my mind. And that experience itself was a trigger.

Cherry blossoms have both beauty and fear. The day after seeing the cherry blossoms at night, I saw the same cherry blossoms and there was the beauty I have always known. The impact of seeing the cherry blossoms made me realize that this feeling is something that lurks in everyday life. The cherry blossoms I saw at night had an air of unfamiliarity about them, while the cherry blossoms I saw in the morning wore an air of familiarity, and I even felt relief.

Inside the gallery, the works inspired by the cherry blossoms seen at night are on the right side, and those from the morning cherry blossoms are on the left. And the morning and night are not clearly separated, but sometimes there is a gradation. I wanted to express such subtle feelings in my works, and the presentation of such “presence” is scattered throughout the gallery.

Depending on the season, the weather, and one's frame of mind, what you see in front of you changes. I hope that the works in this exhibition will also let everyone’s heart go.

── You created an original pattern that looks like a braided pattern, named it "NODOKA," and have continued to draw various motifs using this technique. Could you tell us about the story behind the creation of this pattern and your thoughts on it?

This pattern is my own design for drawing light; I started drawing it around 2014. At first, I was just casually running my pencil as it came from within me. As I continued to draw it, I came to the theory that “I’m moved by things that have charm in their light”, and I began to see them as particles of light.

When I lived in Tokyo, I was often exposed to rather artificial light, so I used to express things that are concrete.

Since coming to Tokushima, I have observed nature on a daily basis, a 180-degree change from the urban landscape, and I am beginning to see this pattern in the phenomena that occur in the natural world.

I can see it in the shimmering surface of river water and in the light and shadows that filter through the trees... And recently, I am beginning to feel that this sense of pattern may also be latent in the "presence" that is invisible to the eye.

── I see. Is there anything you would like to express in your work in the future that you have not tried before?

I believe that one of the charms of washi is its feel. I would like to create works that people can touch directly.

Washi has sound and scent, though they may be subtle, so I would like to pay attention to them as well… Using washi, a material that can bring awareness to all the "five senses," I would like to challenge myself to create artworks that are not only for visual appreciation. 

In addition, my current work has brought me into contact with an increasing number of Ukiyo-e prints, and I know that Hiroshige Utagawa and Hokusai Katsushika also used to depict cherry blossom scenery. My thoughts about the works of such Ukiyo-e artists were also reflected in the creation of my artworks for this exhibition. I would like to continue to be inspired by such Japanese motifs from different places and from a larger perspective.

── Finally, what is your ultimate "dream"?

I want to continue to express myself as I travel, and to create works of art in harmony with the place and people, and enjoy the chain of impressions.

I will spread my wings to the world with my original pattern, "NODOKA"!

Interview & Text: Mayumi Horiguchi

VIEW THIS VIDEO TO LEARN ABOUT NODOKA YAMAURA'S THOUGHTS ON HER ARTWORK