Tombow (left) & Okuno (right)After collaborating with Tombow and Okuno, I interviewed them to gain more insight into their respective practices.
Note: As I do not speak Japanese, this interview was translated by Bessie Okada. Due to the nature of the interview, it is not a word for word translation.
Tombow Kobayashi:
Q: From what or where do you gain conceptual inspiration?
A: From a range of sources. People, emotions, fantasy, Japanese mythology, everyday experiences, and everyday things that I see. Love also.
Q: Your dolls have a very ‘vulnerable’ and perhaps even sexual quality about them, do you intend for this to happen? Or is it an organic process?
A: Yes, I do know how I want them to turn out. But sometimes they might change.
Q: Do you plan your work? How?
A: Yes, I draw them before I make them. But they are very elaborate and realistic drawings.
To learn more about the practice of doll artist Tombow Kobayashi, visit http://www.geocities.jp/vegatalk7/enter.htm
Etsu Okuno:
Q: What is the most important aspect of Ikebana for you?
A: Definitely the flower – how to present the flower in the best way possible. This is because it is something living and I want to respect that by presenting it in the best way that I can.
Q: Ikebana is a technique that also focuses on the ‘empty space’ as much as it does around the arrangement. What is the importance of ‘space’?
A: The importance is the balance, and the space in relation to the arrangement. This is because Ikebana was developed for alcoves in traditional Japanese rooms, and rooms used in tea ceremonies. Therefore, the alcove for an Ikebana arrangement is like a frame for a painting; so you have to think about the ‘whole’ space to make it balanced and attractive, and not just the arrangement.
Q: I understand that Ikebana also values the use of ‘odd numbers’ in the arrangement. Why is this?
A: As much as Ikebana is about balance, odd numbers in arrangements (eg. 3 different flowers, heights etc.) create unbalance. Odd numbers are also connected to happiness.
Q: As an Ikebana master, do you have a favourite style?
A: Yes, it is called ‘Koryu’ for ‘old style’. This is because it is what I know best.
Note: As I do not speak Japanese, this interview was translated by Bessie Okada. Due to the nature of the interview, it is not a word for word translation.
Tombow Kobayashi:
Q: From what or where do you gain conceptual inspiration?
A: From a range of sources. People, emotions, fantasy, Japanese mythology, everyday experiences, and everyday things that I see. Love also.
Q: Your dolls have a very ‘vulnerable’ and perhaps even sexual quality about them, do you intend for this to happen? Or is it an organic process?
A: Yes, I do know how I want them to turn out. But sometimes they might change.
Q: Do you plan your work? How?
A: Yes, I draw them before I make them. But they are very elaborate and realistic drawings.
To learn more about the practice of doll artist Tombow Kobayashi, visit http://www.geocities.jp/vegatalk7/enter.htm
Etsu Okuno:
Q: What is the most important aspect of Ikebana for you?
A: Definitely the flower – how to present the flower in the best way possible. This is because it is something living and I want to respect that by presenting it in the best way that I can.
Q: Ikebana is a technique that also focuses on the ‘empty space’ as much as it does around the arrangement. What is the importance of ‘space’?
A: The importance is the balance, and the space in relation to the arrangement. This is because Ikebana was developed for alcoves in traditional Japanese rooms, and rooms used in tea ceremonies. Therefore, the alcove for an Ikebana arrangement is like a frame for a painting; so you have to think about the ‘whole’ space to make it balanced and attractive, and not just the arrangement.
Q: I understand that Ikebana also values the use of ‘odd numbers’ in the arrangement. Why is this?
A: As much as Ikebana is about balance, odd numbers in arrangements (eg. 3 different flowers, heights etc.) create unbalance. Odd numbers are also connected to happiness.
Q: As an Ikebana master, do you have a favourite style?
A: Yes, it is called ‘Koryu’ for ‘old style’. This is because it is what I know best.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment