Exhibiting in the Sogetsu Spring Exhibition, Takashimaya Shinjuku.

Keen to experience as much as possible during my Scholarship I applied to exhibit at Takashimaya, Shinjuku. I have had the pleasure a few years ago exhibiting in the Sogetsu Autumn exhibition in Nihombashi but this was in my mind more exciting because I felt more involved being on the ‘spot’.

Though I would have liked to join in with one of the group exhibits I felt my language skills would have held me back so I opted to do an individual on the wall. Excited about my decision I soon discovered there was a criterion, which was to use two materials – a wooden base and metal. To refresh my metal working skills I attended a workshop in the Atelier Department learning different methods to change the shape and textures of the metal. Ideas running almost out of control I soon settled on making my work very angular with the inspiration coming from living in a city of tall buildings and almost another city underground.

The inner workings of my piece – spent hours constructing the final material

I cut rectangles out t of the metal – not an easy feat because the metal was so sharp and to get neat straight lines took skill. I constructed small pillars to lift the metal off the base giving a 3D form, which I then threaded horsetail to form the skyscrapers. The forms were when both ways up through the holes and then under and up again giving form from every view. Hypericum berries were added for both colour and in my eyes ‘there people emerging onto the streets from the metro’

Atelier staff preparing fixtures for wall mounting

I was delighted with the exhibit for several reasons, firstly because it was a totally new style working outside my comfort zone – very angular rather than curved flowing lines. Secondly, rather than just coming up with a design I tried to draw from my experiences of living in a huge city.
The experience was stressful in the sense I had a vision and worried that it would not be interpreted as I had wanted but the worry was to no avail. Proud of my achievement I was given many comments making my finale to the scholarship very special

Final work, inspired by Shinjuku buildings