Nanakarage Ayano
rainbows edge XI 2016-19 樟（くす） Camphor tree h700×w1100×d700
Nanakarage Ayano
1987: NANAKARAGE, Ayano was born in Kagoshima, Japan. She graduated from Hiroshima City University, Faculty of Art, Department of Fine Arts. She is a contemporary artist, attracting attention for her wood sculptures.
She is originally from Kagoshima, and her experience of growing up in the rich natural environment is clearly reflected in her works.
Carved in one piece from a large camphor tree, the work looks somewhat like a monster. The motif of this work is a dried up form of food around us (bananas, ginger, etc.). It is a work of art that carves out a moment from a long progression of time. Also, the part that looks like a person wrapped in cloth is the artist herself, which can be interpreted as a work in which the self and the object are integrated as one.
In the art world today, works that bring out social messages and aesthetic novelty to the forefront have become mainstream (trendy?). In contrast, Ms. Nanakarage’s works express her affectionate gaze at nature, and the fragility and eternity of life by harnessing the power of the material wood, and her overwhelming enthusiasm. It is, therefore, all natural that she is establishing high reputation as an artist in her prime and her works are attracting huge expectations.