Yuken Teruya is an artist based in New York.
He works with various materials such as toilet paper rolls, paper shopping bags and butterfly chrysalises.
His ideas often reflect life and history of Okinawa, his homeland.
Minding My Own Business
YEAR:2011 MATERIAL: Newspaper, Wire, Glue
On March 11th 2011, while the artist stayed in Japan for a residency program, eastern Japan was attacked by Magnitude 9 earthquake. The tsunami caused by the earthquake wiped out many villages and towns along the coast, and the serious damage was done to Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Since the day, tragic photographs appeared on the cover of the newspaper everyday. This work is the artist’s response to the whole experience. His intention was to let the new sprouts grow from the surface of the newspaper that document the tragic stories. Even when the whole country is shaken by the disaster, time passes, Spring comes and new lives start.
2011年3月、レジデンスプログラムの為に作家が群馬に滞在していた際に、日本は大震災に見舞われた。大地震によって引き起こされた津波の被害は大きく、さらに原発の事故という重なる災害。それから毎日、新聞には生々しい写真と大きな見出しが載った。そんな新聞を見て、反射的に作り出した作品。被災地の現状を報告する新聞という媒体から、上を向いて空を目指して伸びて行く小さな芽を作り出してみたかった。人間の天と地を揺るがすような大災害が起きていても、季節は動き、そこには新しく始まった命がある。春先に見つけた新芽の営みを当時の新聞の紙面に再現した。
