New masks - part 2

Hello everyone. I am building my website lately when I find spare moments. It was overdue. I wanted it to be ready before the MA show in early September. Main framework is done. I am still thinking how to show my work on it. Flickr is one option. Its advantage is that it allows me to upload almost unlimited images. I will let you know once it is done.

Today I will continue to show you more of my new masks in Clouds. 

Rabbit mask

This is another experiment. I keep making something new. It is a risky strategy, but to feel fresh, I need discoveries and excitement. When I stop any experiments, it would be probably the time I stop ceramics.

Different angle

I am very pleased with this mask. I love textures, patterns and colours. Jane, the studio tech calls my finishing 'painting'. It has evolved this way, and I enjoy doing it.

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Origin of transformation

This is my idea of Gandhara. The beautiful young male sculptures in Gandhara had changed its appearance as the image had traveled to east about 1700 years ago. When it has reached Japan in the 6th century, it had already East Asian appearance, older and fatter, very different from the original image.

To Japanese, the Silk road is the path to the origin of lots of things, including Buddhism. I have always wished I could travel on the Silk road. This mask carries my dream.    

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I am looking for my father

    

This mask has a model. The old lady comes to our door several times in last four months. She announced 'I'm looking for my father' when Mike answered the door for the first time. The second time she was looking for her friend. She insisted that she left her friend in our lounge. I told her that nobody came on that day. She asked if she could see inside the room. 'Of course. Please have a look.' Only Topaz barked at her. She leaned her neck, 'How strange! I surely left her on your sofa!'. I told her to go home and have a nice cup of tea because she was tired and a bit confused. She nodded. I asked her if she could go home by herself. She said 'Yes'.

I have been interested in dementia as my own parents are old and getting forgetful, and also a gentleman I have known for a couple of decades was diagnosed with Alzheimer. Ordinary things they used to do became impossible things to do. As a Japanese woman, I am likely to live for a long time. Dementia is not other people's problem. It is likely to be my problem.

This mask is the old lady, my mother, Mike's mother, myself, and all people who are suffering and will suffer from dementia.

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I have created my first work for part 2 Calm. I have been working on an image for a couple of months. Now finally I could make it appear.

New work

She is going to be on a large mount that I had reduction fired several months ago. She will also have a wing. She is a cloud. 

Close-up