Round Earth Redecoration
Round Earth Redecoration is a three-dimensional work composed of oddly shaped fittings, tatami mats, furniture, and other elements. The audience can interact with the piece by turning a handle to rotate a floating kotatsu, riding a tricycle to pull objects, or moving furniture with casters. The work allows the audience to rearrange the furniture in the room, which is commonly referred to as “redecorating.” In this piece, however, the work itself moves in response to the audience, and the elements of the space are in constant flux.
The theme of the work revolves around overturning the essence of the traditional Japanese room. For example, in traditional fittings, the sliding doors fit into grooves called kamo-ii (top track) and shiki-ii (bottom track), which allow the door to open and close when slid. By eliminating the need for these tracks, she wondered if the door could move in ways never seen before, with total freedom of movement. Similarly, tatami mats are typically inserted precisely into the floor of each room without gaps, but she wanted to explore whether these could be made in a form without angles or specific measurements. Based on these ideas, she created works that challenge gravity, such as a floating kotatsu, round tatami mats with no corners, and deformed sliding doors, exploring these concepts in small-scale works.
In creating the circular tatami mats, she visited Kunikeda Co., Ltd., a company in Gifu Prefecture that specializes in the production of unique tatami mats. She proposed working together at their factory to make the piece. Through collaboration with the tatami artisans, she learned many technical details, such as the use of finely textured Japanese paper to prevent cracks in the mat’s surface, and the application of warm steam to bend the tatami smoothly. These discoveries proved to be an enriching experience.
On the manufacturing side, she learned that in recent years, the necessity of traditional Japanese rooms has decreased in residential spaces. Kunikeda-san, the president of Kunikeda Co., Ltd., expressed his desire to create tatami using new ideas and technologies, free from traditional methods. She also learned that Mr. Kunikeda’s company no longer focuses mainly on replacing tatami in homes, but instead uses their skills to create unique spaces. This includes making tatami beds, laying water-resistant tatami mats in luxury hotel baths, and creating free-form tatami, such as heart-shaped or animal paw prints, using innovative techniques to craft altered tatami for distinctive environments.
Based on her interactions with these artisans, she gained a glimpse into the current state and future of the housing industry surrounding the Japanese-style room.
On the other hand, she realized that she does not want to use the skills she has acquired to work as a traditional artisan, nor is she aiming to perfectly recreate a traditional Japanese room. Instead, she wants to use these techniques as a means of expression. With this in mind, for her graduation project, she sought to significantly alter the functions of the elements that make up a Japanese room—such as the fittings, tatami mats, furniture, and accessories—and attempt to create a new kind of space.
In this work, the audience is free to move the elements, allowing them to rotate, move up and down, side to side, or perform irregular movements. The “floating kotatsu and round tatami” placed in the center of the piece allows multiple people to sit together, with everyone’s faces visible, creating a space that fosters a calm and open state of mind and encourages soft communication. She hopes that Round Earth Redecoration will be experienced by people of all ages and backgrounds. It is fascinating to think about what kind of chemical reactions might occur and how people will communicate with one another through this work, especially when people who happen to be in the exhibition space come across it. In the graduation exhibition, she wants to explore the potential that this work holds by observing the reactions of the audience. Going forward, Round Earth Redecoration will continue to be updated in response to the movements and situations of the viewers.
The 71st Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation and Completion Exhibition
Tokyo University of the Arts, Central Building 1st Floor
Variable size
Tatami, iron, wood, fabric, tricycle, ceramics, washi paper
Sponsored by: Kunieda Co., Ltd.
Round Earth Redecoration Nakacho House
After presenting at the 71st Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation and Completion Exhibition, she exhibited her work at a traditional Japanese house, “Nakamachi House,” in Kitasenju. The exhibition aimed to create a sense of displacement and discomfort by placing “things that seem out of place in a Japanese-style room” within the familiar space of a traditional Japanese house, inviting viewers to enjoy the contrast.
Round Earth Redecoration Kitasenju
Art Access Adachi, Nakamachi House
2023
Round Earth Redecoration Kitasenju BUoY
She exhibited Round Earth Redecoration at Kitasenju BUoY, a space with a rich history—its second floor was once a bowling alley, and the basement was a former public bathhouse.
The First Anniversary of Iegakijou
The End of the Park
Kitasenju BUoY
Organized by: Iegakijou, Mukashi Mukashi Ka Keikaku
2024