In traditional Japanese houses, there is a special space called the “tokonoma.” This is a place to entertain guests, adorned with hanging scrolls, vases, flower arrangements, and taxidermy animals.
However, in modern times, lifestyles have changed significantly, and more households are eliminating the tokonoma. As a result, it has become common to part with the items that were displayed in the tokonoma.
In particular, letting go of taxidermy is very difficult. The Japanese have believed since ancient times that gods and spirits reside in nature. This is referred to as “yaoyorozu no kami” (the eight million gods). This belief evokes special feelings towards animals. Therefore, taxidermy is not merely an object but is regarded as something that houses the soul of an animal that once lived.
I feel that the reason taxidermy cannot be easily discarded lies in this ancient Japanese sensibility and sensitivity. This sensibility has been passed down to the present day and continues to influence people’s ways of living.
For this reason, I have been receiving taxidermy from many people and conducting a project to photograph them. Through these photographs of taxidermy, I express the “living tradition” in modern society.
Taxidermy set against a backdrop of the sea, projected onto a screen, reflects a pose as if it is gazing at the ocean, almost as if it were alive. However, when the light goes out, it simply returns to being a taxidermy object. By contrasting these two states, it evokes in the viewer the emotions that change over time and an imaginary drama, revealing the “living tradition.”
The traditional Japanese sensibility that has been passed down since ancient times has faded in form and meaning over time, yet it continues to be inherited in the present. This work brings to the surface such traditional sensibilities in the contemporary context, intertwining them with modern societal values.