S H IF TS I N J A P A N E S E

M A T E R I A L I T Y

S H IF TS I N J A P A N E S E

M A T E R I A L I T Y

JULIE BARTHOLOMEWKYOKO HASHIMOTO
GUY KEULEMANSRUI KIKUCHI
LIAM MUGAVINY U S U K E TA K E M U R A
BIC TIEUC U R AT E D B Y B I C T I E U

I N S P I R AT I O N A N D T R A N S F O R M AT I O N I N T H E O B J E C T S C E N E B E T W E E N A U S T R A L I A A N D J A P A N

T H E J A PA N F O U N D A T I O N G A L L E R Y
L E V E L 4 , C E N T R A L PA R K , 2 8 B R O A D W AY
CHIPPENDALE NSW 2008
W W W. J P F. O R G . A U
2 FEBRUARY – 16 MARCH 2018
SYDNEY DESIGN FESTIVAL 2018
W W W. S Y D N E Y D E S I G N . C O M . A U
2 – 11 MARCH 2018
ART MONTH SYDNEY
W W W. A R T M O N T H S Y D N E Y. C O M . A U
1 – 25 MARCH 2018

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CONTENTS

Introduction

05

Essay

07

Julie Bartholomew

11

Kyoko Hashimoto

13

Guy Keulemans

15

Guy Keulemans + Kyoko Hashimoto

17

Rui Kikuchi

20

Liam Mugavin

22

Yusuke Takemura

24

Bic Tieu

26

Event Program

28

Credits

29

05

INTRODUCTION

BI C TIEU

This is a group exhibition to be held at the Japan Foundation in their
Chippendale gallery from the 2nd February to 16th March 2018. The title
for this exhibition is titled Shifts in Japanese Materiality: Inspiration andTransformation in the Object Scene between Australia and Japan. The
exhibition has also been accepted as part of Sydney Design Festival 2018
program. The Sydney Design Festival is presented by the Museum and Applied
Arts Sciences (MAAS) and this Festival will run between 2 –11 March 2018.
The development of this project started with a question about Bic Tieu’s practiceas a Sydney jewellery and object designer working with Japanese lacquer. She
questioned this connection of using Japanese material and how it has influenced
her practice. In developing this view, Bic Tieu looked at the conceptual terrain
between Australia and geographical regions of Japan. Ambitious to see how
other practitioners within this dialogue connects to this idea, a group exhibition
was proposed. The project was initiated when the Japan Foundation and MAAS
accepted the ideas to be presented as a group exhibition with workshops, artist
talks and demonstrations.
This exhibition represents the material dialogue of Japan and Australia fromvarious experimental and craft design practitioners. The works engages theterrain between these geographical regions and how it has influenced both local
and transnational practitioners. The term ‘terrain’ is used metaphorically to
discuss the connections between the field of practitioners from Australia andJapan from which experimental design and craft practice arises. It also refers
to the material landscape, that is the range of materials used by Australianand Japanese practitioners. These ideas explore the aesthetic connections
between these actual and metaphorical terrains is the key concept that drives
this exhibition.
The works represented are from the field of ceramic, furniture, glass,jewellery and object. It will engage the perspectives of each practitioner tothe synergy of Japanese material cultures in relation to Australian practice.

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xxx six practitioners will be presenting new and current work from their practice:
The
Julie Bartholomew (Contemporary Ceramic, Canberra)
Kyoko Hashimoto (Contemporary Jewellery based in Sydney)
Guy Keulemans (Experimental Designer, Sydney)
Rui Kikuchi (Contemporary Jewellery based in Kyoto Japan)
Liam Mugavin (Furniture based between Sydney & Japan)
Yusuke Takemura (Contemporary Glass, Canberra)
Bic Tieu (Contemporary Jewellery & Object, Sydney)
The works presented will explore the curatorial theme through scholarly researchand imaginative perspective, direct experience and the sensibilities that arise
from inhabiting the in-between: the flow and space between the cultures andplaces of Japan and Australia.
What is engaging about this underlying theme within the designer’s explorationis the important issues which are expanded upon. Themes of sustainability,
consumerism and cross-cultural identity are discussed respectively in thematerial dialogue. This ever present energy reveals the importance of thein-between in relation to cultures and transnational influences as a sourceof creativity.
The goal for this exhibition is to expand the dialogue on the links between
Australia and Japan craft and design practice in reference to the exhibitors.
Within this framework, there is opportunity to explore and contemplate theworks in order to understand the tide of material thinking between Australia
and Japan. In order to enhance engagement with the community, an additional
program of workshops, talks and demonstrations are planned around thisexhibition timeline.

07

ESSAY

DR NICHOLAS BASTIN

Japan has long been a wealth of inspiration for creative people, and thosethat are influenced, often seem to be in a way that is singularly committed
and passionate. It is a culture that embraces the object; the handcraftedfrom historical tradition, to the mass produced commodity that littersthe contemporary sphere. In his book Japanamerica author Roland Kelts
describes three major periods, or ‘waves’, when Japanese culture distinctly
pervaded aspects of western culture. Kelts’ book was published in 2006
and at the time of writing, Kelts asserts that we were in the 3rd wave at the
beginning of the 21st Century, when anime films, such as those of Hayao
Miyazaki, reached a broad international audience outside of Japan.
And of course this influence has been reciprocal.
Julie Bartholomew explores this cultural melding in her series Koppori.
The iconography of multi national conglomerates and celebrity become visualcomponents of a patterned surface mixed with traditional Japanese motifon the form of the Koppori, traditional Japanese footwear. There appears to
be no hierarchy between Japanese patterning and that of the logos of big
global fashion houses and brands. Both motif types seem to co-exist equally,suggesting the indelible stamp that a pervasive internationalism has pressedon a traditional culture and the indistinguishable fusing of the two.

1 Roland Kelts, Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop
Culture has Invaded the US (New York: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2007), 5.

Another ubiquitous footprint of contemporary culture, is the production of
non-degradable rubbish such as plastic. Kyoko Hashimoto’s sublime jewellery
resonates with a tranquility that belies the origins of her material. She
endeavours to make sense of the world by taking the discarded plastic toys
and embeds them in concrete receptacles, thus creating miniature, petrified
and portable landfill through the creation of buddhist prayer beads, Nenju.
The jewellery objects Hashimoto creates show us an imagined future where theskeletal by-products of consumerist waste have transmogrified to a humble
material that has become almost mystical.

08This exploration continues in Kyoko Hashimoto’s collaboration with Guy
Keulemans, resulting in the sculptural object paired down to one of its purest
forms; the cube. However the pristine surface is corrupted by ‘breakages’ that
expose an entropic, rotten interior; a discord of multifarious solidified waste
substances. This plasticised mulch, concealed within a classical form, suggeststhat we could be viewing the future in the object. We see the wasteful by-productsof our contemporary culture that have become fossilised, and in full circle, arenow synonymous with the original source of prehistoric creatures whose remains
ultimately produced the petroleum that is used for the manufacture of plastic.
In his individual works, Guy Keulemans adopts the role of conservator as well
as artist/craftsperson, staving off the inevitable anguish of the breakage ofa treasured ceramic vessel, by enacting the process of damage as the final
stage in the manufacture of the artwork. Keulemans takes ceramic vessels,
as per his artist statement, ‘thrown and fired to bisque by Kiyotaka Hashimoto’ ,and systematically breaks them, reassembles the components, and finalises
and enacts the object as both artwork and museological artefact. Rui Kikuchi
also creates a museum of sorts in her PET Series. At first read of the title,
I instinctively mistook the term to the animal type of pet, as opposed to theabbreviated, more sinister term, for a particular type of plastic used in the
manufacture of plastic drink bottles. Kikuchi creates zoomorphic specimens of
toxic and beautiful gelatinous zooplankton that could have possibly been bornefrom an oceanic rubbish dump. These vivid luminescent ‘jellyfish’ are visuallyendearing but suggest a deadly venomousness that is synonymous with thelong term pollutant effects of the material itself.
If we move on to land, the furniture of Liam Mugavin is imbued with thepresence of architectural structures long past. Through the sublimation ofreclaimed timbers, Mugavin creates chairs that are both functional furnitureand contemplative sculptural form. He highlights the economic conditions of
his material; Reclaimed Douglas Fir, acknowledging its previous life and cause

09of dilapidation, whether that be from natural disaster, economic decrepitude,or economic prosperity. He accepts that in the distant scheme of things, thisintervention and reinvigoration of the material is temporary, and the natural
predication and inevitability, is that all things must die.
Yusuke Takemura’s uses the transparency of glass to unlock and visualise theintangible aspects of a personal expression to explore a sense of self. The form isghostly and I cannot help but think of Japanese Anime (here I am projecting myown interests in Japanese culture) and that the enlarged, almost alien skull-likeforms are a holographic projection abstracted self portrait made corporeal.
Bic Tieu also explores transparency of material but through her personal
approach in the application of Japanese lacquer. Tieu creates an intimate personal
expression through the use of the peony motif, a symbol that commonly appears
in traditional Chinese art. In this instance, the peony flower has been stylised,dissected and rearranged into new abstracted forms. To me this work also
portrays a sense of landscape. The textural qualities of Tieu’s work could be almostinterpreted as topographical, rendered from the eye of the omnipotent wearer as
small enigmatic terrains. Perhaps this is due to Tieu’s inquiry into the history anddevelopment of lacquer through Asia, to ultimately focus on Japanese lacquer
and to expand on this through contemporary practice. The lacquer process itself
becomes a metaphor for cultural dialogue between Japan and Australia.

Dr Nicholas Bastin is an artist who makes
objects and jewellery, and lectures inGold & Silversmithing in the School of Art
at RMIT University, Melbourne.

In all, this exhibition has combined a group of artists/craftspeople who areconnected, not just through an engagement with Japanese culture, but throughan approach to a specialised material culture. Their experiences of residing and/or travelling in both Japan and Australia has eventuated as a hybridisationof approaches through which questions of consumerism and our personal
relationships to a contemporary material culture have been proposed. The result
is a collection of exalted works that encapsulate the wonderment of the object,
derived from a fascination and adoration of both Japan and Australia.

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EXHIBITORS11

JULIE BARTHOLOMEWVERSACE KOPPORI (OVERLEAF)
2018
CLAY
21h x 16w x 29d cm
PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF THE ARTISTNIKE KOPPORI
2018
CLAY
22h x 16w x 29d cm
COCA COLA KOPPORI
2018
CLAY
22h x 16w x 29d cm

The relationship between bodies andan increasingly commodified global
culture is central to my ceramics
practice. Dominant ideologies suchas white hegemony, are integral to a
global consumer world and impact ontrans-national urban environments.
An engagement with material
processes and object making
reflects on transnational forcesof consumerism and searches forrecalcitrant and subversive synergies
as indicators of distinct expressionsof cultural difference. This approachquestions the consumption of
global consumerism as simply an
imposition of one force upon the other.
The co-existence of traditional andcontemporary forms of female bodypresentation for instance, offers new
possibilities for embodiment and thepositive value of difference.

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K YO KO H A S H I M OTO

NENJU (OVERLEAF)
2018
VARIOUS TYPES OF PLASTIC FROM OLD AND
BROKEN TOYS, CONCRETE, SAND, RESIN AND SILK.
EACH BEAD APPROXIMATELY 2.4cm ø.
PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF THE ARTISTNENJU BALL RING2018
VARIOUS TYPES OF PLASTIC FROM OLD AND
BROKEN TOYS, CONCRETE, SAND, RESIN AND SILK.
EACH BEAD APPROXIMATELY 2.4cm ø.

Japan, as an island nation, had anatural limit to its resources. Now,
in the global economy, Japan is thebiggest importer of natural gas andthe second largest importer of crude
oil. Both are used to produce goods
made from synthetic plastics, of which
Japan is the world’s eighth largest
exporter. This ranking might notinclude the export of petrochemical
feedstock, the raw chemicals used
to make plastic pellets, or the pellets
themselves. Due to accounting andterminology complexities of global
trade, it’s hard to know.
And it’s hard to know where any
particular plastic product reallyoriginates. A plastic toy might bestamped ‘Made in China’, but this only
refers to a final manufacturing stage.
Before that, the pellets or chemical
feedstock likely came from Japan,
though perhaps Germany or elsewhere.
And before that, the fossil fuel raw
material could be Middle Eastern crude
oil or gas from the North Sea. Or gas
from Australia, as Japan is Australia’s
biggest buyer.

Given the significance of global
material flows and their dominanceover traditional craft materials inboth volume and economic value,
I question whether I can meaningfully
define ‘Japanese materiality’ incontemporary terms.
Nenju are the Japanese form of
Buddhist prayer beads. Traditionallymade from wood or stone, the soft
grinding noise that results from their
manipulation in the hand is said tofocus the mind on the failures ofhuman passions. The Nenju presented
here are made from the materials ofplastic toys used, broken and discarded
by my children.

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GUY KEULEMANSTHROWN AND FIRED TO BISQUEBY KIYOTAKA HASHIMOTOARCHAELOGIC VASES (SERIES 3) (OVERLEAF)
2015
CERAMIC AND PHOTOLUMINESCENT GLUE
24.5h x 14ø cm
PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF THE ARTISTARCHAELOGIC VASES (SERIES 4)2018
CERAMIC AND VARIOUS MATERIALSVARIOUS SIZES FROM APPROXIMATELY
24h x 14ø, to 32h x 20ø cm

Archaeological conservators repair
broke artefacts with special techniques
guided by their ethical sensibilities.
For example, they might use
transparent and reversible glues
that are invisible to the naked eye,but become visible under ultraviolet
light. The purpose is to represent theirintervention honestly, and reversibly
if needed, to interested colleagues andfuture researchers.
Historically conservators have shifted
their approaches to prior repairs. For
example, glues and staples, were once
deemed aesthetically objectionable
and were removed in perplexing
attempts to present ceramic objects
as originally made. Nowadays,
contemporary conservators tend
to preserve such features as visualevidence of the human use and wearthat objects experience.

Archaeologic uses this context topresent a speculative scenario for an
ultra-low energy society; a scenario in
which the material value of ceramics
are appropriately valued in terms of
the intense power need to fire andharden clay and glaze. Just as withtraditional Japanese ceramic repair
known as kintsugi, in this scenario
cracks, fissures and the episodic lifeof shards are not rejected or hidden,
but valorised as points of culturalcompression. For kintsugi, this culturalcompression indicates a concern fora way of life contingent to theexperience of earthquakes and theperception of concussive forces sharedby broken and repaired ceramics. In
Archaeologic the crack is presented asilluminated warning for an imminent,
existential environmental threat.
The rebinding of shards is presented
as concern for the repair of the socialand material cultures required to
manage this threat.

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17

GUY KEULEMANS +K YO KO H A S H I M OTO

These cubed-shaped objects are partof a broader attempt to uncover theextended relations of materials. It isa polemic against the hylomorphic
style of design and production thatconceptually separates form andmaterial (a style that draws theeye towards surfaces, hiding theinterrelated, complex, and often
polluting, burdensome materialities
of real world production).
This is not just a story of ecologicaleffect, but ecological origin: so muchof our material resources come fromanimal and plant based sources.
Concrete comes from limestone thatcomes from the crushed bodies of sea
animals, sedimented into rock overmillions of years. Spray paints andplastics derive from petrochemicals,
extracted from petroleum that isrefined from crude oil, made frommillions of years of dinosaur bones,
ancient planktons and plants,
compressed underground. What we
consider the common and artificial
materials of the built environment,
truly originate in the life and deathof animals.

The expression of material production
conditions, the scope and scale ofmaterials and processes required
to produce an object, should not
be limited to the superficialities
of external surfacing. Yet, this isconventional practice. Many designers
obsesses over surfaces, and use thedesign of superficiality, reflection
management technique and thecharacteristics of smoothness andgloss to direct attention to surfaces,
but at the cost of knowing what’s
underneath, in the insides. For limiting
the comprehension and sensibility ofthe material processes and energies
required to produce objects, it should
be condemned.
Drawing from our theorisation ofJapanese ceramic mending, in which
the tracing of cracks and fissures
diagram the vicissitudes of life andexperience, we propose to bring into
sensation an ecology of material
relations in the form of an emergent
ledge, cracking through a vertex,
framed by white surfaces, a hint andhue of complexity and chaos.

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GUY KEULEMANS +K YO KO H A S H I M OTO

1

a type of wood, a composite of lignin (organic

12synthetic gas made from a hydrocarbon feedstock,13

fossil fuel (the bodies of plants, animals and other living

either natural gas13, coal13 or a biofuel sourcecross-linked phenolic polymer) and cellulose (organic
polysaccharide compound) in a porous, fibrousorganisms anaerobically decomposed over millions ofstructure found in tree stems and roots2

medium-density fibreboard (unknown wood or paper
fibres1 in a resin binder, typically urea-formaldehyde8)3material (probably fly ash, a coal13 fired power plantand phosgene10) and some kind of polyol resin11 withbyproduct)
15

without a hydrocarbon propellant13
4

cooked and crushed limestone15 with a pozzolanic

isocyanate (treated amines extracted from ammonia9
dimethyl ether (dehydration of methanol12) with or

TWO WHITE CUBES (OVERLEAF)
2017years underground)
14

calcium carbonate (shells, corals and the bodies ofother sea animals composited into rock over half

cement14, sand (various granular minerals, commonlya billion years or so)

EACH 36h x 36w x 36d cm

sillica and calcium carbonate15) and aggregate (various

16

fractionally distilled petrochemical hydrocarbon13

TASMANIAN OAK1, MDF2, POLYURETHANE SPRAY

rocks and minerals from an unknown source)

17

also know as vinegar, produced by the natural

unknown petrochemical13 polymer colourants,

fermentation of plant products or synthesis fromSILVER LEAF, SHELLAC6 AND PVA GLUE7

plus some metals, with or without a hydrocarbon13

a petrochemical16 using a palladium catalyst

PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

propellant.

FOAM & PAINT3, CONCRETE4, VARIOUS OTHER PAINTS5,

5

6

the resin secreted by the female lac bug (Kerria lacca)and ethanol (either fermented sugar yeasts or anindustrial petrochemical13)

7

polyvinyl acetate (ethylene16 reacted with acetic acid17)

8

urea (organic compound made from ammonia9and carbon dioxide) and formaldehyde,
an oxidised methanol (carbon monoxideand hydrogen, a petrochemical gas13,
reacted with zinc and copper catalysts)

9

a naturally occurring substance now most commonly10

an industrial reagent made from carbon monoxide andsourced as a byproduct of coal-fired power plants13
chlorine gas (made via the electrolysis of salty water,a process that also creates caustic soda, or lye).
11

an alcohol with multiple hydroxyl groups (likely
petrochemical origin13)

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20

RUI KIKUCHIPET SERIES2015
RECYCLED PET BOTTLES AND SILVER
SMALLEST 5 x 3 cm
LARGEST 25 x 20 cm
PHYSIS SERIES (OVELEAF)YEAR 2010 –17
OLD STEEL NAILS AND 18K GOLDALL WITHIN 25 x 25 x 2 cm
PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF THE ARTISTGRASSES OF RESILIENCE
2017
BRASS AND METAL LEAF
ALL WITHIN 10 cm ø

Living things in nature tend to'rematerialize' continuously in aperfect cycle.
Living, dying and then returning to
the earth, there is a perpetual rebirth
into something totally different
and wonderful.
The man-made however, is not as
nature. They are manufactured, usedthen forgotten or discarded – only
deteriorating and not regenerating –left to linger awkwardly.
The old steel nails left by my lategrandfather are such objects. While
having the look of tools, in neglect they
are without function in their intended
purpose, and have subsequently losttheir meaning to exist.
In my series Physis, I have transformed
old nails left by loved ones into various
jewellery with an organic quality using
the process of forging. In the heatand pressure the metal undergoes it
reminds me how magma stirs again
and again beneath the earth’s crust,
churning minerals and life.

The theme of 'materiality' also
continues in the series called PLAnta,
where I have repurposed PET bottles
into unexpected forms. Each jewellery
piece is meticulously hand cut thendyed into bright colors, reminiscentof exotic undersea creatures. They arethen finished and riveted into handmade metal settings, emphasizing
each unique feature.
The third group of works, Grassesof resilience are brooches based on
original patterns designed using
kirigami or cutting paper process –one of many national craft activities
enjoyed in Japan. The designs are
based on plants and 'weeds' that are
not highly regarded, but nonethelesspossess great fortitude in survival.
Each are stunningly colored incollaboration with a master metal leaf
artisan using Nishijin hikihaku, one of
the techniques used in obi belt weaving
in Kyoto.
Here, as with the nails and PETplastic, it is my hope that all unvalued
materials are seen in a new lightwith each resource being cherishedand reborn.

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22

LIAM MUGAVIN

HOUSE CHAIR SERIES (EDITION OF 5) (OVELEAF)
2017
RECLAIMED DOUGLAS FIR
EACH CHAIR APPROXIMATELY 80h x 45w x 45d cm
PHOTOGRAPH: NANA KAZAMAThe House Chair Series is an
exploration of materiality, form,
cultural context and criticalregionalism. The work carries on
from a project for the Australian
Embassy of Tokyo and Echigo Tsumari
Artfield, completed in mid-2017 for
the Australian House in Urada-machi,
Niigata prefecture.
The chair designs aim to be unpresuming, subtle and unconfinedby convention. They are expressiveof cultural narratives in Japan andAustralia, regarding materiality andimpermanence. In the use of reclaimed
timber, there is minimal intervention,
allowing the material to speak andthe designs to tell their own stories.
The geometric forms and proportions
are dictated by the material itself,
rather than factors imposed by thedesigner/craftsperson. The designs are
therefore dependant on the inherent
physical and metaphysical qualitiesof the material. Although the use ofmaterials conveys their heritage, thedesigns refrain from appearing rustic
and instead create a contemporary
aesthetic. In this sense they canbe viewed as examples of criticalregionalism that strive “to become
modern and return to sources”. Thishas been achieved by simply cutting
the timber in half to expose the new,unnamed surface. When viewed fromone side, only the newly exposed
surfaces are visible. When viewed fromthe opposite side, only the patinaed
faces are visible. This effect gives
way to a contemporary aesthetic
that expresses intrinsic qualities andcultural heritage of the materials.

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24

Y U S U K E TA K E M U R A

SELF-PORTRAIT (WHERE IS MY MIND?)[DETAIL] (OVERLEAF)2018
BLOWN AND CARDED GLASS
62h x 30ø cm
PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF THE ARTISTUNTITLED2016
BLOWN AND CARDED GLASS
44 x 16 x 16 cm

The work in this exhibition explores
how my senses of Japanesenesswere built by seeing and contemplating
my work.
My current project is focused on selfconfirmation(exploration), and asking
myself what is me. Clear glass is avery mysterious material, yet, it is aperfect material for me to work with.
I overlap the mysterious feeling ofoverseeing solid clear glass andthinking about my mind to which
seeing solid clear glass doesn’t
give you the solidness of glass. The
appearance of the transparency ofglass is almost weightless. Whilst mymind seems like existing, I compare
and extend to the metaphors of
this medium. What I see is just mybody(shell), not my mind.

I have been also interested in theJapanese term of kogei. This word in
the Japanese langauge is a name andcategory given to Japanese craftsmen
working with traditional craftmaterials and processes.
I have lived in Australia for overten years now and I feel stronger thesense of Japanese craftsmanshipwithin my works.
I believe the more I create,contemplate and develop new works,
the better I understand myself.

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26

BIC TIEU

MAPPING FLORAL IMAGERY:
MOON SEA LIGHT SERIES2017
STERLING SILVER, FINE STERLING SILVER, URUSHI,
COPPER, GOLD LEAF, MOTHER OF PEARLAND STAINLESS STEELALL WITHIN 6 x 4.5 x 2.8 cm
MAPPING FLORAL IMAGERY:FLORAL MAPS (OVELEAF)
2018
STERLING SILVER, FINE STERLING SILVER, COPPER,
URUSHI, PAUA SHELL, EGGSHELL, STAINLESS STEELAND SILVER LEAF
ALL WITHIN 7 x 6 x 0.5 cm(NOT INCLUDING PENDANT CHAIN)
PHOTOGRAPH: GAVINO PILI

Lacquer is an ancient material which
originates from China over 500 years
ago. Through trade and exchange themedium has crossed borders to Eastand South-east Asia. Within eachgeographical region the material was
adapted, applied and interpreted to its
national stylistic language. Similarly,
the intersection and exposure of myChinese Vietnamese heritage of lacquerand exchange of learning Japaneselacquer has transpired the medium
in a contemporary context. Japaneselacquer (urushi) is revered for its uniqueand distinctive gold application. The
presentation of Japanese lacquer in myworks is used as a medium to articulate
the boundaries between thesegeographical points. The lacquering
methods are explored for its visual
identity and surface qualities to reflect
movement and migration between theconnections of Japan and Australia.
The series of wearables and objects
explores structures, forms andcavities which navigates the eyes
and hand around the use of space.
These spaces are developed from thebasic drawing of a peony flower. Thatis, using the mapping parametersof graphic to develop forms which
are then reconstructed to create
vessel like structures. This process
of experimentation using the line
and plane allows for dissection andreassembling. The forms which
emerged from this exercise echoes thestudies made from my collection of
my primary Chinese and secondary
Japanese amulets which are connected
to Buddhist philosophy. On a deeper
level, these cultural context reveals
exploration about culture and identity
through juxtaposing identifiable
symbolism and traditional materialsof the orient to articulate movement
and transnationalism via the motif ofa peony structure.
The jewellery and object’s surfaces
reveals an engagement with Japan’smateriality of lacquer. That is fromtraditional value and how it continues
to shift through transnational
encounters. When looking at theseobjects within the material dialogue,
things are re-imagined and reinterpreted giving to ideas on anarrative platform.

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28

THANK YOU

Thank you to all the contributions
from everyone involved with thematerialisation of this exhibition.
Fore mostly, I would like tothank all the designers/artists(Julie Bartholomew, Guy Keulemans,
Rui Kikuchi, Kyoko Hashimoto,Liam Mugavin and Yusuke Takemura)
who have been excited to engage
with the curatorial theme, Shifts inJapanese Materiality. Thank you foryour special energy to create andpresent new and loan current works
which engages on the concept of how
contemporary design practice areinfluenced by the material dialogue
between Australia and Japan. I would
also like to thank the team at theJapan Foundation Gallery in Sydneyfor hosting this exhibition andproviding an exhibition venue.
I especially would like to acknowledge
Alison Groves for her vital role in thedevelopment of this exhibition. It has
been great working with Alison on
this project.

Many thanks to the other contributors
for their time and energy. I would
also like to especially thank
Stephen Goddard for designing anaccompanying eCatalogue. Without
his generosity, this would nothave been possible. Special thankyou to Martin Boehnel for building
the exhibition furniture design atexceptional speed. Thank you to
Nicholas Bastin for his perspectivewith the catalogue essay.
Lastly, but not the least, I am supergrateful to my friends Gavino Pili,
Rose Downie and the JapanFoundation staff for volunteering
their time and help with painting andexhibition installation. What would
I have done without your help.
Thank you to Kudos Gallery forloaning the three exhibition furniturepieces for the duration of this show.

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EVENT PROGRAM

AT THE JAPAN FOUNDATION,SYDNEYFEBRUARY 2 (FRIDAY)
Opening night
6.30pm–8pm
FEBRUARY 3 (SATURDAY)
Talk-Demo: Jewellery making with Rui Kikuchi
1pm–2.30pm
MARCH 3 (SATURDAY)
Japanese eggshell lacquerware workshop by Bic Tieu
10.30am–1pm
MARCH 8 (THURSDAY)
Designers discuss Japanese materiality
6.30pm–8pm

Presented by

30© 2018 KHA & CHI Publishers

All rights reserved. This publicationor any portion thereof may not be reproduced
in any manner whatsoever without priorpermission except for the use of brief
quotations and education purposes.
ISBN: 978-0-646-98356-1
Title of Publication:
Shifts in Japanese Materiality
Author/Editor: Tieu, B.
Publisher: Kha & Chi Publishers
Publication date: 2018
Format: eCatalogue

Catalogue design:
Stephen Goddard / Project Two
Catalogue essay:
Dr Nicholas Bastin
Exhibition design & layout:
Bic Tieu
Exhibition furniture construction:
Martin Boehnel