Panel five - Selected by Haruka HIRUTA
Curator Comment by HIRUTA Haruka about “Strength of Mind” by KAWAMURA Natsumi
What keywords do you think of when you hear the word ‘cultivate’? We are reminded of cultivating the soil and enriching the land. What all the keywords have in common is the strength to create a better future through one's own strong power and will.
I would like to put forward KAWAMURA Natsumi's work as a work that gives us a sense of such strength. The profile of a human being looking ahead in the center of the artwork shows a strong will to obtain a happy future using one's own power. The contrast between the colorful and lively background and the profile painted in green tones seems to emphasize his or her unshakable will.
I believe that her artworks will give great strength and courage to those who are striving to realize their dreams or are facing difficulties.
Curator Comment by HIRUTA Haruka about “View from Afar” by Charlotte CHURCHMAN
The first image we get from the word ‘cultivate’ is about plants and farmers. Plants endure the cold and harsh seasons and sprout in the warm spring. During the winter, people stay in the dark facing themselves and sharpening their minds.
This work by Charlotte depicts Antibes, a city located in the south of France. This is the place where she herself spends her annual vacation, but has not been there for the past few years due to the cold weather. She depicted this place using a technique called Cyanotype or Blueprint.
The faded colors of the Cyanotype, a very early photography technique of the 1800's, show the coldness of Antibes as a motif. At the same time, however, it also foreshadows the warm spring that awaits us after enduring this cold. In addition, the city of Antibes, which endures the cold, and her attitude toward the challenge of a new technique called Cyanotype add depth to the theme. We are reminded of the similarities between the attitude of the farmer who cultivates the soil and the attitude of the artist who seeks new ways of expression.
KAWAMURA Natsumi (Artist)
Born in Japan. She is enrolled in the Fine Arts Course at Joshibi College of Art and Design. She often does portrait painting.
Instagram: @housedotsbrown
Charlotte CHURCHMAN (Artist)
Born in London. She is enrolled in the Art & Design Foundation Studies Course at Loughborough University. She usually does work that is focused on textures and is abstracted.
HIRUTA Haruka (Curator)
Born in Kanagawa. She is enrolled in the Concentration in Art and Culture at Joshibi University of Art and Design. She belongs to the Color Science Seminar and the Anthropology Seminar. She likes listening to music, and often listens to music by Japanese musicians.