A STAGE (2014-2015)
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
by W. Shakespeare, “As you like it”, Act 2, Scene 7
Keiichiro uses the Tokonoma to resemble “A STAGE”. The Tokonoma is usually the alcove in a Japanese residence that is used to display special art, such as scrolls and flower arrangements. He makes a stage and a flower vase out of iron. The Tokonoma is a solemn stage upon which the true heart of flowers can be expressed.
“Flowers” are nature-made. “Iron products” are human-made. “Flowers” that are inserted in “Iron” now play a new role. The relationship created on the stage shines tells a story and is complimentary. Eventually, “Flowers” decay. “Iron” rusts. They return to their natural state. He reads the heart of nature continuously, through the act of arranging flowers and lets viewers feel the poetry of that heart.
Golden Light (2017)
The Parisian sunlight in June was strong, glaring, and impactful. Upon returning to Japan, at once, while the light shining in through the window of my atelier still generated a feeling as similar to the Parisian sunlight as possible, based on my fresh memory of it, He arranged flowers and produced the series of photographs. The series involves the presentation of lotuses while keeping in mind the notions of “moving” and “cutting off”, which arise out of the strong contrast between light and shadow, and focuses on “shiny, strong beauty”, which represents an aspect of the golden light.
IN HARMONY -SPARKLE-(2019)
Now is the time when people need “loving harmony”, isn’t it? The act of arranging flowers, trees, and grasses is an act of “interacting” with nature and creating “harmony”. Keiichiro arranges the flowers while projecting the appearance and shadow of the person onto them. When he does this, he feels the “sparkle” in the flowers. The “sparkle” is sometimes dazzling, sometimes soft, and sometimes gentle. When he feels the sparkle in the relationship between people and people, between people and nature, “love” is born. And he can be conscious of conflicting relationships such as yin and yang and creates “harmony” by superimposing the heart of each flower. “True harmony”, not just form and composition, is harmony with love. That is why he wants to bring “loving harmony” to the viewer’s home.
White Light (2020)
“WHITE LIGHT” is a series of works expressing “time and space” formed as a whole from conflicting relationships such as natural and artificial, bud and flower, and the back and front of a leaf. Keiichiro used aluminum shavings instead of mud to create the image of a person who lives a pure life untainted by their surroundings, like “a lotus in the mud”. The flowers are arranged by the artist himself. The paper used in the original print consists of a neutral paper and a plaster layer, the surface of which is further coated with its own plaster containing mica. The result is a natural and deep image quality that is full of life. The plaster provides a high degree of preservation.
Can’t turn back time. (2021-)
This work is made by placing stones, wood, tree bark, fallen leaves, bird feathers, nuts, and other objects collected from the Iwakura ruins on a piece of calligraphy paper
Iwakura-iseki is the site of an ancient ritual. A group of giant rocks is considered to be the god’s retainer (i.e., a rock formation), and this rock formation is composed mainly of three giant rocks in the west, east, and north. Surrounded by tall, twisted trees such as cedars, the rock formation is surrounded by a different atmosphere, and still retains the atmosphere of the special place it once was.
The first step in this work is to carefully select several stones from among those collected and place them on a piece of paper. In arranging the stones, Keiichiro is conscious of the relationship between each stone as in a Japanese temple garden. He then gathers the stones that have fallen to the ground in the palm of his hands and scatters them from above. By creating a “space” where “order” and “disorder” coexist, He is attempting to express a “time of no return”. For the calligraphy paper, he used the belongings of hIs wife’s calligraphy master. Taking a bird’s eye view of the artifacts makes him aware of the separation of body and soul, life and death.
The objects collected from the remains are collected with permission and returned after the work is completed.
Can Moment Last Forever? (2023-)
In this series, the artist embarks on a journey to unveil the intrinsic value of nature, contrasting the enduring nature of stone with the ephemeral beauty of ever-changing plants. The stones, born and evolving over time, starkly contrast with the fleeting grace of the plants. Personally arranging and photographing wild plants on blocks of ice, the artist overlays them with images of meticulously placed glass shards. This technique encapsulates the transient nature and beauty of the moment within the layers, portraying a delicate yet breathtaking instance in time. Against the backdrop of a winter snowy landscape, rocks and snow become the focal points of a minimalist composition, capturing the serene world of rocks, snow, and flowing river water. Through this visual exploration, the artist not only captures the profound beauty of nature but also contemplates the fragility inherent in each moment, seeking to express the preciousness of the natural world.
