MOON SHOP
ceramic talons, embroidery and found objects June 2019 Shiro Oni Studio Onishi, Japan
photo by Machteld Rullens
This work documents a six week long stay in small mountain town in Japan.
As I made these small objects out of clay I tried to free myself from worry about the final product — I tried to move forward intuitively, focusing on the idea of change and flow. A Zazen workshop at a local Buddist temple, where an image of the moon is used as the focal point for meditation, solidified the moon as symbol for these feelings.
I installed my talismans and embroidery in an old tea room just off the main exhibition space. There is beauty in the unknown, but I have always been one to search for answers. Poking and prodding, questing as if there was some hidden treasure just out of reach. This work served to counteract that urge; an attempt to find peace in not understanding everything.
Talismans are a focal point for power, an object that can give strength or solace or comfort. I therefore wanted people to have these objects and form their own relationships with them. I left signs in Japanese and English encouraging people to take one if they wanted, simply asking they leave a small item in exchange. This exchange was crucial to the work as it maintained the equilibrium of the space, but also more importantly, it formed the basis for a bond.
It was exciting to see people wearing the talismans, but the real thrill was checking back throughout the course of the exhibition to see what curious little items had been left behind in the shop.
A picture of the moon never satisfies, it remains un-captured.
Bats and moths turn to it for guidance. They dart through the twilight hours, erratic and halting —
unsure of this in-between time, this gateway between worlds.
What is it you’re always searching for?
