OBJECT STORY ARCHIVE 01 Headdress
“In my family, wearing a hat always symbolises the western culture. I always hide myself in hats. The bowing gestures of this sculpture resembled Japanese politeness and being reserved. It seemed as if I was building walls around me and turning into an object.”
OBJECT STORY ARCHIVE 02 Piano
“Piano represents my mother who is a pianist. You have to go to the piano to play; piano does not come to play with you. She has always followed her passion and played a central role in her community as an artist. I am always proud of her, but when I was little I wished that she could be there for me more. After becoming a mother myself, I learned it was tough to be a mum like she was, not sacrificing her passions in order to cater to others’ needs. Piano resonates my process of redefining my view of an ideal woman.”
(Image source: http//:colibri-pianos.de/images/Instrunments/Steinway/C/Steinway_C_227_bw.jpg)
OBJECT STORY ARCHIVE 03 Handbag
“When a handbag goes missing, it is an indication that my mind is out of balance. I fear these moments. During the experiment with gestures, I was carrying Handbag on my back, which slid off me like a snail. Despite the struggle to crawl across the floor, the external appearance of the Handbag was graceful. It was telling me to slow down and go at my own pace.
Just before filming Encapsulation Suits, I forgot my handbag on a train. A man contacted me through email. I met him on a platform of a station. I learned that handbags could return.”
OBJECT STORY ARCHIVE 04 Key
“We only give keys to adults that keep our secrets—it is a sign of trust. During the choreography test, Key started running against a door. It looked like a battering ram that knocks down a gate at the beginning of a revolution. Key told me to start a revolution and move on.”
OBJECT STORY ARCHIVE 05 Bag of flour
“In 2013, I was scared of flour products like cookies, bread, noodles, but I could not help not eating them. It gave me a different body, and it felt like living in someone else’s body. Bag of Flour tempts a woman, absorbs her from inside, sucks her soul, and kills her. But she reawakens and becomes a stronger house.”
-Yuka Oyama