Installation Art > A Thread X (Meets) A Thread ~ Treasuring the Moment ~

A Thread X A Thread
~Treasuring the Moment"

Material: thread
2013 - ongoing
Dimension - variable

I have been in the States for over 25 years, but still, I feel like I am a new girl in a new school. I feel it will never change. For me, relationships with people in a new place are something that I cannot take for granted. Although I know I cannot build relationships with everyone I meet, I want to at least treasure and appreciate the moment of meeting people whether I will have another chance to meet that person again or not. I believe treasuring the moment of meeting people leads us to make peace between individuals and create a "home" eventually. For this idea is resonate with the Japanese cultural concept "Ichigo ichie," which means "one time, one meeting," but I believe this thought is universal as well.

In making this installation piece, multiple threads were used. The verbs related to a thread such as to tie knots, to cut, and to get tangled are used idiomatically to express different conditions of relationship with people in the Japanese language. I started to make this piece in Wichita, Kansas, U.S. in 2013, by making knots with two pieces of threads. I kept tying thread to another thread. Each knot with the threads represents the notion of treasuring the moment of meeting people.

I prepare shortly-cut thread pieces on a pedestal. I would ask the viewers to participate in making this piece by tying knots with these thread pieces to my piece so that this task will become the place for them to meet this artwork and to think about their own relationship with people. I hope this piece will travel around the world and meet many people. The work remains "in progress" with the presence of new viewers in the space.

This work was previously exhibited in these locations and threads were added:
Wichita, KS (2013,) Newton, KS (2015,) Matfield Green, KS (2016,) Chiba, Japan (2016,) Kyoto, Japan (2016,) Wichita, KS (2017), Kansas City, MO (2017), Wichita, KS (2018), Oklahoma City, OK (2018), Derby, KS (2018), Tulsa, OK (2020), Manhattan, KS (2020), Lindsborg, KS (2020), Asuka, Nara, Japan (2022), Meguro, Tokyo, Japan (2022), Otemachi, Tokyo, Japan (2022), Greenwich, CT (2023), Billings, MT (2023) Wichita, KS (2024 scheduled)

I consider this interactive installation as a collaboration piece with the viewers with a theme of community and relationship building. If your community or organization is interested in this exhibition and collaboration, please contact me through the "Contact" page.