Chinatsu Kobayashi (HL)

Curatorial Rationale

The theme that I will exhibit is “change”. The purpose of my work is to connect different experiences into one exhibit and express emotions that I can't express through words. Whether it be how I grew up, societal problems, or the conflict that I am battling with, through “change”, these artworks were produced. "Change" allows me to make personal connections to myself and leave a double entendre for the audiences to interpret. Each artwork has a personal underlying message, which the audience can interpret from the artist’s point of view and their own. This allows them to open their perspective to not only what they see, rather to an extent of what they feel and imagine.

What encouraged me to exhibit these pieces is the versatility of art. My artworks contain different mediums and art styles. As an artist, I enjoy finding underground artists and interpreting their artwork from their medium and the underlying story that they are portraying. Hence, the incorporation of mixed media with identity (Identity), sculptures with societal issues (Sea of plastics and Counterfeit), embroidery with personal change (Seasons).

Identity portrays the ‘challenges with identity’. Inspired by Lauren Brevner, the incorporation of chiyogami, charcoal, gold acrylic, and raw wood depicts the cultures that I grew up with- Japanese and Philippines. The subject is shown in a ‘passport photo’ style which conveys my exterior identity- Japanese. Background includes various shapes- the ‘clash’ in my experience and culture. The gold represents ‘kintsugi’ (金継ぎ), which ties everything into one identity. Sea of plastic depicts the social issue- deteriorating environment. The materials and grey tones depict the dull and dead environment. The concrete iceberg represents the effects of our actions- slowly crumbling Earth. Looking at the artwork from different angles elicit different emotions. Seasons is a five part artwork of time and the craving for difference. Inspired by Sofia Salazar’s embroidery and simplistic style, this work represents the longing for change. The chain-stitched hand is trying to grab the four seasons, which symbolizes change and time. Unpretentious portrays the unseen events that made these people who they are. The ‘floating mask’ symbolizes how their past challenges made them who they are. The background is their ‘personal sanctuary’ which allows them to reflect on life. 20dontblink20 portrays my last years in the Philippines- the most ups and downs. Condensed into a 2:38 minute video are my last memories here. Puso is a depiction of the changes with my artworks during my IB year. To me, it is a flag/tapestry of representation. Counterfeit is a piece depicting consumerism. The famous ‘heart eye logo’ on the worn out shoes gives a ‘non-authentic’ element. Just keep working, just keep working is inspired by the time I spent procrastinating. The fish represents myself swimming around the work I should be doing. The clouds are the sanctuary of procrastination. Though, like the broken mirror, reality hits me and I always want to turn back time. Repetition and Patience symbolizes one’s identity with hair. This piece specifically depicts the growth and donation process of hair and the fortune that comes with helping people. Appreciation and Time represents the importance of spending time with people we care about. Portrayed is a childhood picture of my dad, uncle, and grandfather. The punch needle medium was chosen to depict my family's way of 'love'. One may think that paint depicts fluid motions, than embroidery. Like embroidery, my family is stagnant with their emotions, but we express our appreciation through unseen, indescribable ways.

My exhibition is composed of a simple ambiance, the walls are painted black to concentrate the audience's attention to the pieces. As each piece has its own character, audiences are free to go in any direction. Different pieces are displayed differently. Sea of plastic is displayed on a podium. Unpretentious is hung from the ceiling. Don’t Blink 2020 is displayed through a device. All 2D artworks are framed and hung on the wall. Though all pieces are different, they all come back to one theme- change. My aim is to leave an impact on the audience about the different mediums of art and their interpretation of the topics that I embedded into my artwork.