M A T E R I A L C U L T U R E
W h i l e K y o k o O k u b o w o r k s i n a m e d iu m t h a t r e p r e s e n ts
J a p a n e s e tr a d it io n s , h e r s c u lp tu r e s p r o v id e a v i s u a l la n d s c a p e
e n t ir e ly h e r o w n — a p la c e o f a n im a ls , g e n t le y o u n g g i r ls
a n d n u a n c e d r e la tio n s h ip s .
P a p e r
N
a r r a t i v e s
S T O R Y BY
Scott Rothstein
K yoko O kubo calls herself a doll maker.
Y et, upon closer inspection, one sees that
this extrem ely private Japanese artist is
much more than that. Her tiny sculptures
are m eticulously crafted from w ashi, the
traditional paper o f Japan. This crisp, sturdy
material, which is created from fibers from
the bark o f the gampi tree, the mitsumata
shrub or the paper m ulberry, is much more
than useful object. W ashi—w hich means
“Japanese paper”—represents traditions
handed down from generation to generation.
And while today the material is often mass-
produced, it is still handmade in rural com -
munities throughout the country.
O kubo began playing w ith washi as a
child. It w as a hobby, not a career. Then 12
years ago O kubo, now in her a u d io s and
living in T o k yo , began m aking dolls. Her
pieces, usually wom en or lifelike animals,
are no more than 12 inches high. She presents
what is familiar, only to surprise the viewer
w ith an inexplicable elem ent in the w ork.
A kangaroo stands quietly w hile being las-
soed by a young wom an. A black crow
wears a headdress in the shape o f a swan’s
head. O kubo’s sculptures are aligned w ith
the maternal. H er m ost pow erful w orks
suggest a bond between a girl and an anim al-
expressing a moment o f attachment cap-
tured as if by a camera lens.
Initially crafting her sculptures as private
explorations, Okubo intended these curious
figures for an audience o f one-herself. Her
motivation was to represent through physi-
cal objects her m ost personal feelings. Lat-
er, she began to show these efforts to family
and close friends, and eventually shared
this vision w ith others. Y et the art world
in Japan is a rigid and form al one, w ith few
possibilities for a self-trained artist. Faced
w ith limited options, Okubo took her w ork
to T o k y o ’s Harajuku district. On a piece
o f fabric on a sidew alk, she had her first
one-woman exhibition. She im m ediately
had a following.
That follow ing now reaches far beyond
Harajuku. In addition to a two-person show
at M obilia G allery in Cam bridge, M assa-
chusetts, in 2007, she has participated in the
gallery’s theme exhibitions, crafting a con-
ceptual teapot made o f paper for “ T h e T ea-
pot Redefined” and a paper goblet for “ T he
Goblet Redefined” shows. T he Museum o f
A rts and D esign acquired the latter for its
permanent collection. M obilia’s support o f
Okubo’s career continues; they showed her
w ork at
s o f a
N ew York this year.
N o one is more surprised about her tran-
sition from the streets into galleries and
museums than Okubo herself. Expressing
her intimate emotions w as a huge risk, and
she is moved that so many have embraced
her. T h is reaction may be even more shock-
ing given Japan’s past. Historically, the fem i-
nine voice has not been present in Japanese
fine art. Even today, many Japanese wom en
sculpt and paint in the aggressive, masculine
manner o f their male colleagues. A rtists
such as Takashi Murakami and Yoshitom o
Nara have influenced a generation o f young
Japanese artists in style and content. Inten-
tionally childlike, manga-inspired or play-
fully com bative, this art represents a par-
ticular point o f view . Y et the range o f such
w ork is lim ited and there is more to the
Japanese experience.
Okubo w as not afraid to reach beyond
this, possibly because she did not start out
creating w ork for others to view . W h ile
at first glance her w ork may seem similarly
childlike, it w as not done from a child’s
point o f view. H er sculptures provide a v i-
sual landscape entirely her ow n—a place
o f animals, young girls and nuanced relation-
ships. Responding to her emotions, Kyoko
Okubo has shaped a collection that is pro-
foundly personal and visually compelling.
Scott Rothstein is a fiber artist who has lived
in Asia for 12 years.
+
mobilia-gallery.com /artists Д о к
artfoundout.blogspot.com
030 american craft aug/sep09
