Through her unique creative approach, IRIE Saya works with stationery to craft three-dimensional art from the rubbings left after erasing printed two-dimensional images. By combining the eraser rubbings she uses to wipe off different graphics, Irie blends the images into the rubber particles, with which she crafts a new object exploring the unwavering spirituality of life that continuously moves in a cycle of reincarnation.
　　　During the residency program, the artist has been examining the varied activities undertaken by people—from Japan’s Jomon period until today—to see how their wishes and desires were reflected. By doing so, she is trying to shed a light on the grand history of human agency that is beyond personal narrative, as well as the art that was born from such long-lasting conventions—our practice of worshipping invisible things.
　　　The word “monument” is often defined as an object erected to commemorate a specific person or event through future generations. Contrary to its out-of-ordinary nuance, Irie’s monuments subjectify mundane details that may never otherwise be looked back upon.
　　　In this exhibition, Irie presents sculptural pieces modeled on dogu clay figures, Kannon statues, or the Great Buddha—all different objects Japanese people traditionally embraced as a form of faith or prayer. All pieces were made from the residue of an eraser used to rub out printed images, and mixed with resin clay. In particular, the two sculptures created during the residency, Ika Jitte Kannon Dust and Moku Dogu Jizo Dust, incorporate full or partial images found on shipping supplies, such as cardboard boxes and paper bags. While the memory of the products enclosed in those packaging materials may be forgotten once they are consumed, their existence was only possible because they were once desired by many, suggesting their value as the object of worship. Driven by this spirit of administration, Irie continues to introduce new icons through her artistic endeavors.
　　　Displayed on the other side are the The Legends of Aomori series, which Irie crafted from fragments of commodities, like a snack box collected during her stay in Aomori, alongside the stories she heard from local residents. As such, her own experiences, and those of others overlap and are elaborated into a small box, each one unveiling a scene from a new story.
　　　Taking the shape of statues and relief works, Irie’s monuments intermingle and fuse the narratives about people and things, thus serving as a peculiar commemorative monument that celebrates the present moment.

Text: TAKEDAI Ayari (ACAC)
Translator: KATO Kumiko (Penguin Transration)