ミヤケマイ / Mai Miyake

Mai Miyake creates works which seek to explore the true nature of things and the universality of expression while seamlessly connecting the past, present, and future by using techniques that combine the sensibility and depth of Japan’s traditional arts and crafts with her own unique spirit.

She has been highly praised for her work which remains consistently lithe and graceful, while constantly challenging the viewer’s preconceptions and speaking to their subconscious.

Her fresh, yet somehow nostalgic and poetical works are timeless and contain a variety of symbols and stories that have multiple layers of meaning, creating a unique world that envelops the viewer.

Unrestrained by the straightjacket of genre, Mai fuses together antiques and craftwork with contemporary art, design, and cutting-edge technology, such as artificial intelligence, from the perspective that they are all objects made by the hands of man and thus on the same plane. Her expression freely cuts across mediums, flawlessly moving between tradition and innovation through her singular interpretation of the Japanese artistic vocabulary.

She received a scholarship at Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts (Paris, France) from 2008-2009. Her 4^th art book “Everybody’s Girl is Nobody’s Girl” has been published in 2017.

Notable Exhibitions and Collections:                                            

Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM), Art Tower Mito, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern-Art, Pola Museum of Art, SHISEIDO ART HOUSE, Ginza Maison Hermès, Kochukyo, Gallery Murakoshi, Aquaignis, Banraisha Gallery of Keio University’s Hiyoshi Campus.

http://www.maimiyake.com

Every material has its own habit and voice, which is what makes it both interesting and complex. To make a modern-looking urushi it is easier to depend on the shape, and being unlearned I can only think of Shibata Zeshin to bring up an example that is interesting by the lacquer itself. Moriyama uses traditional urushi techniques using eggshells and negoro-lacquering, but her works feel new nonetheless. It is as if they stand in front of me, with the graceful air of ancient times, having travelled the ages mixing the old and new air, to open up a new vision. It makes me feel that we humans and time have been connected from the past, and that our senses will continue to spread. She is an artist that lets us feel the unknown possibilities of a young artist.

(Saki Moriyama)

Like Sei Shonagon, the Japanese have a tendency to like small, well-made, yet somehow imperfect things. I first saw Mitsuta’s work over 10 years ago, but I remember his jizai-metalwork winning my heart being small, well-made and moving on top of that. To stimulate the viewer’s desire to possess is the most important thing for an artwork. In that sense, he is a fortunate artist who does not need any explanations, that his works were displayed along well-known works in a certain exhibition of so-and-so museum. It is not often that an adult strongly desires to possess something, especially for me as I prefer not to wait or line up to want something, but when I opened the box with Mitsuta’s crab, which I waited for and bought, my cat jumped on to it straight away. The elaborate nature can trick even animals.

(Haruo Mitsuta)