Rice harvests produce straw, a pure byproduct of the dried grain. Historically, the fabric could possibly be used for all kinds of objects from tatami mats to meals wrappers to service luggage. A lot of these merchandise at the moment are made utilizing artificial supplies, and rice straw is extra typically used for ceremonial or sacred decorations like Shinto shimenawa festoons, that are put in across the New Yr and may vary from a couple of centimeters to a number of meters lengthy.
For Tokyo-based artist ARKO, rice straw finds a up to date software in elegant wall hangings. “I started thinking that it should be something new, apart from the old traditions, given that there must be a reason why straw vanished from our life,” she says.
within the natural nature of the medium, ARKO embraces how environmental modifications can affect the look of the work as a reminder that the fiber originated from the bottom. Typically moisture within the air makes the items really feel heavy or the straw will emit a scent. More often than not she maintains the pure colour of the skinny stalks, often dying layers black or utilizing contrasting string to carry the composition collectively.
“In modern times, straw has been replaced by artificial materials and is manufactured with the premise of environmental pollution. (It) is mass-produced and discarded in large quantities,” ARKO says. Though she doesn’t prescribe a ritual that means to the work, the sculptures evoke “the laws of nature and the great power of life that are often overlooked in modern society where economy takes priority.”
ARKO is represented by Someplace Tokyo, and you will discover extra work on her web site and Instagram.
