Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine will be hosting "Dazaifu, Finland, A Taste of Summer," an exhibition by two Japanese artists with deep ties to Finland: ceramicist Fujio Ishimoto and photographer Nao Tsuda, from May 12th to July 1st. The Treasure Hall will feature Fujio Ishimoto's ceramic works under the title "The Shape of Fruit," while the Archives will exhibit Nao Tsuda's photographs under the title "Rest in the Desert."


The Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine Treasure Hall Special Exhibition Room will be hosting a ceramics exhibition by Fujio Ishimoto titled "The Shape of Fruit." Ishimoto has been based in Helsinki since 1970 and has exhibited numerous works since then. Ishimoto's talent as a textile designer blossomed at the Finnish lifestyle brand Marimekko, and the fabrics he created at that time are still loved and used around the world. Since 1989, he has shifted his focus to ceramics, and currently pursues ceramic expression at an atelier in the art department of Arabia, Finland's leading ceramics manufacturer. The appeal of his work lies in the motifs derived from his gaze on the vast nature that surrounds us, and the richness of color applied with his unique sensibility. The landscape of his childhood hometown, Tobe Town, Ehime Prefecture, resonates with the plants, flowers, creatures, sea, sunlight, wind, and all the other natural environments he encountered during his life in Finland, and these resonate with the expression of his work.

Sculpture "Winter Melon" ©Chikako Harada/Fujiwo Ishimoto
The highlight is "Winter Melon," a new ceramic sculpture based on the motif of winter melon, displayed "rolling" in the center of the venue. Ishimoto, who lives in Helsinki, is not very familiar with winter melon, but he was attracted to its unique shape and chose it as the motif for his first ceramic work for this early summer-themed exhibition. In addition to the shape, what is distinctive are the clay and glaze used. You can experience up close Ishimoto's rich ceramic expression, which is not limited to realism, with pieces that make use of the texture of terracotta as is, and pieces in glossy yellows and greens. The winter melon motif also appears on the wall reliefs and large plates. A wall partitioned by glass cases features a wall relief featuring plums, the symbol of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. The sculptures, shaped by Ishimoto's deepest memories of plums, evoke a variety of poses, from the fruit just hanging from the branch to the ripe plums that fall naturally. This, too, encapsulates Ishimoto's artistic world, which is uninterested in realistic depictions of actual plums. In one corner of the exhibition, photographs of Ishimoto's studio and studio in Helsinki are displayed, along with a replica of the shelves originally installed in his studio to display his new square and round plates. In addition to plums and winter melon, large plates featuring nandina, grapes, and Japanese bayberry fruit will also be on display. Only 23 fruit-shaped objects created specifically for this exhibition will be available for sale at the Dazaifu Tenmangu Treasure House.

© Nao Tsuda, Courtesy of Taka Ishii Gallery Photography / Film

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine Archives is hosting a photo exhibition by Nao Tsuda, "Rest in the Periphery." Nao Tsuda is a photographer who travels not only in Japan but all over the world, constantly examining the relationship between humans and nature. Wherever he travels, he engages his whole body with the scenery that unfolds before him, capturing it in his own unique way, resulting in numerous landscape works. In recent years, he has been photographing sacred sites supported by indigenous beliefs and settlements that continue to preserve unique ethnic cultures, as well as creating works based on fieldwork tracing ancient civilizations. In May 2017, Tsuda pursued the moment when the seasons changed from winter to summer in Finland. From the rocks and shores of the archipelago, he witnessed the plants and trees sensing the arrival of summer and opening new buds. He also witnessed the early Nordic summer in the huts cherished by generations of people for enjoying the short summer and the surrounding nature. Tsuda's worldview can be felt in the moments captured by focusing on subjects such as the breath of plants, the surface of a melting lake, sunlight, and wind. The word "hetube" in the title of this exhibition, "Rest in the Heterogeneous Region," is an archaic word meaning "near the shore" or "shore." Tsuda himself wrote this word in his notebook, as he photographed the beginning of the Nordic summer on the shore of Vänö (Vänö) island in southwestern Finland. Another location where the exhibition took place was a summer cottage in Jyväskylä, where the Finns spend their summers relaxing, hence the title "Rest in the Countryside." Furthermore, "Lepo," a representative textile design by Fujio Ishimoto, means "rest" in Finnish. During the shoot in Finland, Ishimoto encountered "Lepo," a fabric beloved by local families on a daily basis. The title "Rest in the Countryside" also incorporates this memory, and special cushions made with the actual "Lepo" textile were lined up in one section of the exhibition venue, allowing visitors to relax and enjoy the works. The Dazaifu Tenmangu Archives, the venue for the exhibition, is normally closed to the public, but will be open to the public during the exhibition. Making use of the tatami-floored space, a special display stand was designed in the main hall to accommodate Tsuda's works. The display stands, which fit perfectly to the size of tatami mats, are low and flat, while others are high and angled, evoking the feeling of walking through the rocky natural surroundings of Väno and Jyväskylä. Exhibited in the archive's throne room are two works capturing the early summer twilight of Northern Europe, a moment marking the beginning of summer as the days gradually lengthen.

The opening event will feature an artist talk. From 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM on May 12, the first day of the exhibition, Fujio Ishimoto, who is visiting Japan for the exhibition, will welcome design journalist Mirei Takahashi to discuss his daily life as a potter in Helsinki and the new works he created for the exhibition. From 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM on May 13, Nao Tsuda will hold a slideshow and talk event, also featuring Mirei Takahashi, in which he will share behind-the-scenes stories from his photography on the lakeside of Väno and Jyväskylä, as well as his mysterious connection to Ishimoto, interspersed with slides of works not on display. Both exhibitions will be held in the lecture room on the first basement floor of the Hobutsuden Hall. For details on how to apply, please visit the special website (http://www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp/natsunokehai).

Through the gaze of each artist, be sure to enjoy this exhibition, where you can experience the beginning of summer, a time when nature is breathing.