Collaboration with Japanese Tea Ceremony
Harukaze 春風 Spring Breeze
Collaboration with Japanese tea ceremony and my installation "A Thread X A Thread" at McKnight Art Center, Wichita State University, Wichita KS
April 12, 2024
Harukaze 春風 Spring Breeze
Collaboration Between Japanese Tea Ceremony and the Installation Art “A Thread X A Thread”
Artist Statement by Chiyoko Myose
On our journey through life, we meet many people. Although I know I cannot build relationships with every person that I meet, my hope is to treasure the moment of meeting people whether or not I will have another chance to see that person again. I believe such a mindset will eventually bring peace between individuals and create a sense of "home." The installation “A Thread X A Thread” began by tying two pieces of thread together and it continues to evolve. Each knot that is created represents the crossing point between people; and the importance of cherishing each moment of encounters with others.
This idea resonates with a Japanese cultural concept which is related to the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Over a cup of tea, participants in the tea ceremony experience a moment of peace and tranquility in a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
I am pleased to collaborate with Miyu Takahashi, who has 12 years of experience in tea ceremony, to create a collaboration with tea ceremony and the installation “A Thread X A Thread”. The theme and the title of this event, “Harukaze, Spring Breeze” expresses the essence of a journey: movement, change, and resonance with place. Miyu and I traveled from our home country to another. While exploring the artistic expression through tea ceremony sessions and immersive installation art experiences, we hope to express gratitude to the people we meet along our life’s journey, and to the Wichita community.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, or sado, “The way of tea”, is a Japanese tradition steeped in history. It is a ceremonial way and process of serving and drinking tea, showing hospitality and gratitude through each traditional movement. Tea ceremony is considered as a comprehensive art form that includes ceramics, hanging scrolls, flower arrangement, architecture design, and gardens. The four principles of the tea ceremony are tranquility, respect, purity, and harmony. This traditional philosophy and etiquette are reflected in various forms in today's Japanese culture. There are three main schools of tea ceremony, and the one presented in this event is the Urasenke school's. Usu-cha, thin tea, and sweets called higashi, a handmade confectionery made from fine-grained sugar are going to be served at this event. Various shapes of higashi associated with the spring season are prepared.
The journey of “A Thread X A Thread”
Since this work was first showcased in Wichita in 2013, it has been exhibited in 18 different places including Matfield Green, Manhattan, and Lindsborg KS, Kansas City, MO, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK, Greenwich, CT, Billings, MT, Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Chiba, Japan. In each show, I invite people to add threads to my piece hoping that this interactive act would become the place for them to think about their own relationship with people and treasure each moment. I hope it will continue its journey and the added thread pieces will meet people in other places.
Special thanks to ADCI, Wichita State University the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, JCA, Japanese Culture Association at Wichita State University, and the Wichita State University Japanese Language Program, Lisa Komatsu, and Ami Goto.