Mondays
4:30 pm
Aomi Kikuchi
Aomi Kikuchi is an artist actively learning various knowledge and techniques of crafts. Through her quest, she try unique approaches to conventional ideas and methods to create innovative art. She is vigorously using scrap and waste as materials. Her sources of inspiration are from Japanese aesthetics and Buddha's philosophy.
Artist Statement
I make 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. Closely related to the philosophy of Buddha, these can be summarized in three key words: impermanence, insubstantiality, and suffering. My work addresses infinity as the succession of fleeting and brittle activities. With freedom and flexibility, I combine acquired knowledge and experiment and create art to inspire dialogue and reflection on these concepts through materials and aesthetic philosophies. I actively use scraps that come from both my working practice and the environment around me.
Bio
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 Art 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 that beauty is 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.
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 takes inspiration from the fragility and fleetingness found in natural cycles and in 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.
Copyright Aomi Kikuchi 2023
Kyoto Japan