Chiharu Shiota
Chiharu Shiota was born in Osaka, Japan in 1972. The artist often draws inspiration from personal experiences and emotions, translating them into works that explore universal themes such as life, death, and relationships. She redefines memory and consciousness by weaving everyday objects, such as shoes, keys, or clothing, into intricate thread structures. Her installations address the sensation of "presence in absence" and visualize elusive emotions, with these themes appearing in her sculptures, drawings, videos, photographs, and canvases.
She received the Art Encouragement Prize from the Japanese Minister of Education in 2008 and represented Japan at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015. Shiota's work has also been showcased at numerous international events, including the Aichi Triennale (2022), the Sydney Biennale (2016), and the Yokohama Triennale (2001).
Chiharu Shiota’s enchanting new Chamber of Wonder “Crystallizing Identity” draws inspiration from an ancient Japanese legend that tells of a red thread that connects the little fingers of those destined to meet. No matter where life takes them, the threads inevitably guide them to one another. This beguiling myth echoes across many cultures.
The thread connects everything. It connects the past and the present, the living and the dead.
Chiharu Shiota
