Art work made by woven silk threads
CLAIR Sydney visited the Japan Foundation on 9 July to see the silk-thread installations and other works by Akiko Ikeuchi. It was the first solo exhibition in Australia for the Tokyo artist, who has specialised in using silk thread as a medium to create intricate and delicate, but at the same time, dynamic and thought-provoking suspended installations.
Her silk-thread creations are painstakingly knotted together using only her hands and they can take up to two years to complete. Her art is said to reference principles of the Mono-ha – an art movement in mid-1960s’ Tokyo also known as ‘School of Things’ that attempts to present natural and industrial materials in their primary state. Interestingly, no matter where the installations are displayed, they always face magnetic north.
The exhibition also showcases Ms Ikeuchi’s exquisite drawings and etchings to round out the exhibition and complement her silk installations. The exhibition is free and open to the public and will continue until 1 July 2016. More information: http://www.jpf.org.au/jpfevents/16-akiko-ikeuchi/
Last but not least, we’d like to thank the Japan Foundation’s Alison Groves (Program Coordinator, Arts & Culture Department) for providing background information and context to the exhibition.