Many years ago the CBC had a program called ARTSPOT, they once came to visit my studio.

All of a sudden I recieved an email from the CBC. This year they decided to revisit some of their archive.

Here's one of the short clips aired on TV and some recent interview. They are also super nice to advertise my current (and slow) comic project!

(English version will come soon...)

現在札幌に里帰りをしております。姪っ子と娘の通う学童保育「ポンチセ　ちいさなおうち」のお手伝いをしてます。

札幌に住む姉がこの学童保育の立ち上げに関わっておりまして、その縁で今回はポンチセアートワークショップ (Space intervention/interaction) となるものを一ヶ月という短い期間ですが行うことになりました。ポンチセは今年４月からスタートした新しい学童保育で札幌の中心街に近接した位置にあります。自然いっぱいのところでのびのびと過ごすのが理想ではありますが、都市の中では必ずしも実現されていません。

そこで、このワークショップでは室内に身近な自然物を取り入れることにより心地良いリラックスできる空間作りの提案をしました。子供達と一緒に空間を作る過程で、外に散歩に出て草木の自然の美しさや形の偶然さ、面白さを再確認し、それらを使って造形することにより、自然理解を深めたり、環境に関して考える機会を少しでも作れたらいいなあと願っております。

ポンチセのスペースは柱により大小二つの部屋に分かれてます。大きな部屋の壁一面はガラスグロックなので、それを水槽に見立てることにより、大きな部屋を海の部屋、小さな部屋を森の部屋という風にテーマを持たせることでイメージを広げやすくするとともに、空間の統一性を計ります。森の部屋では葉をスタンプ代わりに木を制作したり、外で拾ってきた枝を使ったモビールを飾ります。また、雑草を収穫し生け花もします。

スケジュール：

６月３０日　活動内容の簡単な説明、海の部屋に使うガラス絵の具のお試し

７月５日　モビール用の枝と生け花用の雑草探し、生け花制作、写真撮影

７月６日　海の部屋制作１／３（海の生物を描く）

７月１１日　海の部屋制作２／３（海の生物を描く）

７月１４日　海の部屋制作３／３（海の生物を並べる～完成）、カナダで行ったアートプロジェクトのお話（外国における日本の食文化について）

７月１９日　森制作

７月２０日　モビール制作、写真撮影

The set of seven photographs from the Survival Japanese Cooking is presented in the exhibition organized by the Art Bank at Art Souterrain 2016 in Montreal! It opens on February 27th for the Nuit Blanche and runs until March 20 2016.

It's a long due I had to do this. This is not an easy process. After contemplating about this for some years I finally forced myself to actually doing it by asking some support from friends and colleagues. And I think it is a nice year to do it as I just welcomed my 40th birthday a few weeks ago. I hope that the works currently sitting in the basement will see some light at nice homes.

Since the arrival of our daughter, my life has been permanently altered and my art practice has been moving quite slow. And I came to an agreement with myself that it was ok that way. I can only do things I can do.

I decided to keep a record of this new life with my daughter, after the incident when she broke her leg, then she was 2 years old.  I felt quite horrible as a mother that this happened under my supervision, besides the fact that she was born premature. This experience was nothing like what my husband and I imagined of having a new baby, somewhat gave us a slap-on-your-face kind of a real harsh start. Life is tip·toeing on a thread thin rope. We've been lucky that she's strong; she survived without any health problem and is growing well. Having a kid is like each day is passing by so fast and intense that at the end of the day I'm too exhausted and can't remember anything, yet so slow as if I am waiting for something.

The story will be updated every Sunday. Only in Japanese.

"Another Ordinary Afternoon" (animation, 2004) is up on Youtube.

It's hard to believe that 10 years can fly by so fast!

"P2P / Peer to Painting" (2009) is also up.

Finally, the publication for Muku & Coro in Rauma is available on line.  Available to download.

The print copy is also available to order from Lulu.com.

Texts by Hannele Kolsio, Shié Kasai

48pp / colour / 9" x 7"

In English

ISBN 978-0-9880306-0-2 (e-version)

ISBN 978-0-9880306-1-9 (print-version)

Here are some pics of the opening of DOLLA-RAMEN, Februaly 25 2012.

More about DOLLA-RAMEN.

My dear friend Jenny Lin and I have a collaboration project called "Maintenant ouvert/Temporairement fermé". It is a site-specifc installation that takes place during the Nuit Blanche in Montreal 2012, also presented part of Artsouterrain that runs through February 25 to March 11 2012.

We're opening a restaurant called DOLLA-RAMEN!

Here's a pic during our installation on late Tuesday night.

It's been a lot of work. One month in Finland already passed. I haven't had chance to do any shopping except the groceries. I hope I'll have some time to get some souvenirs in the remaining month.

It started yesterday afternoon, the wind got stronger and stonger, then the snow started. It didn't stop, probably all night. We woke up this morning, everything was covered in white. I haven't gone out for two days, I don't know how cold it got. From the window I saw a mother carrying her child on a sled.

The website for the Muku & Coro in Rauma Finland is finally up. Phew, the first part is done! DONE! It's been so busy. But I still have the second part to do...

Pori newspaper covered the production story of "muku & coro" in Rauma on their Sunday art section.