ShiShi Yamazaki is a young Japanese artist whose work is like an explosion of rainbow-coloured joy. Her little stop-motion animations possess a sense of nostalgia, and remind of the freedom i felt the first time my parents let me go into the city for the day with my friends. All her videos are wonderful, but I’ve always been most fixated by this one.
Yanesen is area of Tokyo that combines YAnaka, NEsu and SENdagai.
Delightfully old-world, Yanesen is dotted with little ryokans, izakayas and traditional onsens about maze-like streets, and intersected with little cafes and shops (including tokyo bike) and SCAI The Bath house, created by clever young japanese creatives who are breathing new life into the area.
“Think of this as a snowy, white dawn giving way to spring. Thick with its own mystery and magic – a tranquil blend of global folk, gospel, soul and psych. A strange light, indeed.” For me, it has served as a solid companion through tired afternoons working from home, in bed, while down and out with the flu.
READING
strange plants II: the success of this book lies in its ability to seamlessly marry two of my most favourite things in the world – contemporary art and plants. i invite you to ask yourself what could be more satisfying, more harmonious, than looking at these lush visions.
while on the topic of art + plants, an exhibition entitled Art/Vert was recently hosted in paddington’s Saint Cloche Gallery, which examined this very topic. curator, amber cresswell, invited local artists to examine the idea of ‘the plant as muse’. i didn’t make it to the show, but i can only imagine it would have inspired the same feelings of wonder and goodness i get from looking at strange plants II.
WATCHING
i bet lucy chadwick has life and all of its complexities all figured out. maybe she is one of those people who has a one, five and ten year plan and actually sticks to it. an art gallery director in new york city and has built a home in the country i would absolutely die for. this film leaves me riled up, in a good, get-shit-done, kind of way.
whisky cat 