10 Questions with Aomi Kikuchi

Al-Tiba9 Art Magazine ISSUE11 | Featured Artist

Aomi Kikuchi is a textile artist based in Kyoto, Japan. She holds a BFA from Kyoto University of Art & Design (Japan) and an MFA from Pratt Institute (USA). Aomi has exhibited her work throughout the world, including at Woman’s Essence Show 2022 (Paris), The First Suzhou Craft Biennale 2021 (China), Art Laguna 2021 (Italy), and Arte Laguna at Villa dei Cedri 2022.

Her work is based on Japanese aesthetic principles and the teachings of the Buddha - “Wabi-sabi”, a well-known philosophy of beauty found in imperfections, and “Mono-no-aware”, the feeling of sympathy for that which changes or perishes, such as the seasons and all living things. The Buddha states that life is impermanent, insubstantial, and suffering. People feel suffering when they seek something everlasting, yet while existence is not eternal, the activities of matter and life are conceptually infinite.

For over 30 years, Aomi has dedicated extensive and immersive practice to various textile materials and techniques, including Traditional Yuzen Kimono Dyeing, Japanese Embroidery, and Weaving. 
Aomi draws inspiration from the fragility and fleetingness found in natural cycles and textiles such as extremely thin fibers, goose down, and wool fiber. She explores impermanence and infinity through the use of biology and nature with textiles and waste.

www.aomikikuchi.com | @aomikikuchi

ARTIST STATEMENT

Aomi Kikuchi makes sculptures, wall pieces, and garments using textiles and found objects to explore Japanese aesthetics and the philosophy of Buddha. They are “Wabi-Sabi”, the beauty found in imperfections, and ”Mono-no-aware”, the feeling of sympathy for changing or perishing phenomena or substances, and they can be summarized in three keywords: impermanence, insubstantiality, and suffering. Her work addresses infinity as the succession of fleeting and brittle activities. With freedom and flexibility, she combines acquired knowledge and experiment and creates art to inspire dialogue and reflection on these concepts through materials and aesthetic philosophies. She actively uses scraps from both her working practice and the environment around her.

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you, and what do you do? 

I am an artist who mainly uses textiles as materials to create artworks that are classified into sculptures, wall pieces, and installations. My work is inspired by the impermanence, insubstantiality, and suffering of this world, which are the teachings of Buddha. I cherish the Japanese aesthetic sense of Wabi-Sabi and Mono no Aware, which are deeply related to the philosophy of Buddha. 

When did you decide to become an artist? And what do you wish you knew about contemporary art before you got started?

In Japan, art is written in Chinese characters as bi-jyutu (beauty and technique) or gei-jyutsu (accomplishment and technique). As it is prominent, the distinction between art and craft is ambiguous in Japan. Japanese people tend to appreciate beautiful and perfect things.
I was fascinated by Yuzen dyeing, which is a dyeing technique for Japanese kimonos, and started making works. I was interested and learned various craft techniques such as pottery, porcelain painting, and Japanese embroidery, as well as all dyeing procedures. I created works in search of beauty and perfection, but every time I challenged new techniques and methods of expression. While learning craft skills, I also studied art at an art university and graduate school.
I was always trying new things and was able to put myself in a place where I could think and learn what beauty and art are. These endeavors have led to my current activity as an artist. In the context of traditional Japanese thinking, which focuses on beauty and technique, contemporary art is very difficult to understand. I didn't know its true value until I studied at an American graduate school.

You have exhibited extensively and participated in several different international art events. What is your most treasured memory as an artist so far? 

At the 1st Craft Art Biennale in Suzhou 2021, which I was invited to, a total of 16 of my works were exhibited. Suzhou is historically famous for its embroidery production. This exhibition invites artists to expand the possibilities of the craft world. Being selected as one of those influential artists was very important to me. As an artist, I will continue to explore the field of crafts and strive to create works of art inspired by craft techniques and materials.

You primarily work with textile art. What inspired you to choose this medium? And what do you like about it? 

When I was a teenager, I wondered what kind of occupation could actually demonstrate my creativity while earning a living. So, I aimed to become an haute couture designer. After that, I learned Yuzen dyeing for a long time, thinking that it was Japanese haute couture.
These experiences made me familiar with Textiles. I mainly use textiles as materials. This is not only because I am accustomed to handling them but because the fabrics and fibers stimulate my creativity. A single thread that frayed from Silk Organza was the catalyst for creating the series of spider web works. I actively use textile scraps as material for my work. Any small lint has a beautiful color and texture, so I try to find a way to use them. 

Your work is influenced by Buddhism and traditional Japanese concepts, like Wabi-Sabi and Mono-no-aware. How do you incorporate them into your practice? 

The materials I use in my work are ultra-thin cloth, fine threads, and fibers. These materials, which lack weight and robustness, are unreliable and unrealistic. Through these materials, I express the impermanence and insubstantiality of the world.
Working as an artist, I don't seek perfection but rather enjoy the taste and beauty that lies in imperfections. That is the aesthetics of Wabi-sabi. The motifs aim to evoke the mercy of the Buddha, and Mono no Aware (sympathy), which is the important mind of human beings.

Your ethereal sculptures convey a feeling of calmness and impermanence. How do you achieve this? And what messages do you want to convey to your viewers? 

When I used goose down for my work, such as Secret series, Trace, Transition, and Woman 2021, goose down was floating in the air with my breathing and a little airflow. Even after finishing the work, goose down escapes gently from work. When I burn silk organza with an incense stick, I control my breathing to maintain the power of the fire and use it gently so as not to break the incense stick. When working with extra-fine white thread, it may not be visible, so I need to grab it by groping. This kind of work requires calmness and tenderness.
In the process of production, I myself feel impermanence and insubstantial. So I hope the audience can also feel ephemerality and flimsiness by seeing my work and imagining how I made them. 

Over the past two years, we have witnessed many online exhibitions and live events. What do you think of the recent changes in the art world? Do you miss the art world as it was before the pandemic, or do you see more opportunities now?

 Before the pandemic, I lived in New York. From July 2020, I had been planning to stay in Kyoto to study Japanese weaving. But due to the pandemic, I returned home four months earlier. The residency at the Textile Arts Center, which was scheduled until June 2020, was also held remotely, and we were able to complete the final exhibition successfully. Thanks to online exhibitions, publications, and portal sites that promote artists, I was able to participate in art activities not only in the U.S but also in Europe and Asia. It also reduces the shipping cost of loading and unloading works for on-site exhibitions.
The online exhibitions are also accessible to anyone from anywhere. This is a great way for people who aren't near galleries and museums to get more out of art. Thanks to technology, the quality of images are improving day by day. In the world of Metaverse, you will be able to experience realism in the digital world. It is also important to consider the environmental burden of transportation such as airplanes. Therefore, I feel positive about using online exhibitions, and that opportunities have expanded for me.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

Currently, I am working on a wall piece titled "Chinese Dreams" and a sculpture modeled on Oiran clogs.

I started making Chinese Dreams using paper cutout souvenirs that I bought at today's Silk Road Exhibition 2015 in Xian, China. I copied the cutout design to silk organza and burned the background of the pattern with incense sticks. Then I arranged yarn and fibers in the pattern and fixed it with zigzag stitching. 
I made a traditional Chinese robe pattern and filled it with a collage of silk organza and silk gauze. I chose the Chinese characters "suffering" and "dream" and burned silk organza/gauze with incense sticks to form those Chinese characters. I placed a round emblem based on this paper cutout in the shape of a traditional Chinese robe. Now I am connecting them with a zigzag sewing machine.
This work gave me the opportunity to think about "dreams". There are two types of dreams. One is the dream you see in your sleep, and the other is what you want to achieve in the future. Young people are encouraged to have dreams for the future, but dreams can also be a desire. For example, at the individual level, if one's dream is to be the best in some competition. When this dream was fulfilled, others would be disappointed because he/she couldn't be number one. At a national level, trying to achieve a dream in a country can harm another. China has a dream of consolidating Taiwan and unifying its homeland. Russia dreams of returning to the size of its territory during the Russian Federation. Satisfying these dreams will confuse the world. It's important to dream for a better future, but when you want something, it's also important to pay close attention to whether the dream can damage others.

Another work I am working on now is a very tall clog that is modeled after the Japanese courtesan "Oiran". The oiran clogs are over 20 cm high and weigh 3 kg. The Oiran costume set weighs 30 kilograms. Oiran were forced to wear them in parades around the city to show her beauty. After finishing this Oiran clog with wool fiber, I am planning to make a wool fiber sneaker modeled after my worn-out sneaker and show the difference between them. One hundred years after the heyday of Oiran, women can go out with comfortable sneakers. I can't even wear high heels anymore. So it is hard to imagine walking in such clogs and in 30 kg costumes. 
Through my work, I would like to reexamine the sufferings that women have historically experienced and are still experiencing. Following that, how women gradually liberated themselves from those agony situations. I would like to contribute to accelerating women's better future through my work. The Buddha explains that desire is the cause of suffering. I believe that Knowing and accepting his philosophy will make it much easier for us to be free from suffering. Through my work, I hope to make his teachings more familiar to the audiences.

What do you hope to accomplish this year, both in terms of career goals and personal life? 

This year, I started making works using wool fiber for the first time. Until then, I used to use cotton fiber. Wool fiber can be shaped without using a medium, and the softness can be freely controlled, so I would like to use them more to make figurative works like the human body. The corona pandemic isn't over yet, so I'd like to spend as much time as possible on production in Kyoto. In my private life, I want to enjoy the beautiful nature of Arashiyama in Kyoto, where I currently live.

Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you?

I currently live in Kyoto and am learning traditional Japanese crafts such as Urushi: Japanese lacquer methods, and Tsuzure-ori: Japanese tapestry weaving. The analects have the word "温故知新 (on ko chi shin)", which means visiting the old and knowing the new. Contemporary art may not require beauty or skill, but it doesn't mean we can ignore the aesthetics and skills of our predecessors, which have been cultivated over the years. I would like to continue to create innovative works with respect to the history of art and craft as the background of my work.