My work is about the eternal question that arises throughout ones life: What is the significance of human existence?
Human life seems small and vulnerable against the immensity of nature, yet each life is unique and full of energy, such that I believe the short spans of our lives are comparable to what otherwise seems to loom so large.
Untitled No.14 considers the infinity of space. One hand holds the lotus flower, which grows in a muddy pond and blossoms imposingly before promptly shedding its pedals. The other hand holds lotus seeds, which in appearance seem to resemble the ever-expanding universe.
The subject of sculpture is always someone in general, rather than one in particular. It is my attempt to entice people to relate to the positions of those sculpted figures. The objects on the figures are reflections of ones life – metaphor and suggestion of what life might be about. Most of my works have been “untitled,” my intention being to speak directly to intrinsic senses while avoiding premeditated impressions.
My aspiration is to reach the innermost soul by finding messages in simple things that people see, feel and experience everyday – things that are essential, but easily forgotten.
Chie Shimizu
2014