Japanese artist showcases photographs at Light Work Gallery
A series of faded pictures in a glass box reflected light from the overhead fixtures of the gallery. The yellow photos in the box, which tell a story about a passenger who left home far away for a war, captivated a woman as she stared, motionless, at the photos.
The gallery exhibition, “The Passenger’s Present,” is at the Kathleen O. Ellis Gallery at Light Work, located on the Syracuse University campus. The exhibition, which opened with a talk with artist Miki Soejima Wednesday night, will last until July 22.
The show presents photos by Soejima, a Japanese artist who focuses on the line between fiction and fact. Soejima came to the gallery to talk to visitors about her exhibitions and the art inspirations behind it Wednesday night.
I am trying to capture underneath the surface of reality. We live in a country, but we didn’t question it often.Miki Soejima
Soejima said she tried to make a connection between reality and fiction for her art, and to spark people to think beyond those realms.
This is Soejima’s first solo art show. Before this, she had been enrolled in the artist-in-residence program at Light Work for five weeks in January 2015. She has also published a book of her previous artwork.
Despite being away from Japan for the last 10 years, Soejima said she would never forget the nuclear disaster that happened to the country.
“In the last a few years, the country is shifting quite radical,” Soejima said.
As an outsider, she added she felt she knew more about the state of affairs of the country than she would have if she were still living in Japan.
She expressed the reality of the society’s circumstances and added the nuclear plant disaster in Japan and the Soviet War will not be forgotten by their people.
Ben Altman, whose own art gallery show, “Site/Sight,” is showing in the Hallway Gallery of Light Work at the same time as Soejima said her ideas really matter.
I think our shows have the same theme, which is to remember the violence and history and to let the society remember.Ben Altman
Soejima, who now lives in London, combined her own experience with British styles she has learned. Her art inspiration comes mainly from literature, films and art shows. Part of the current show’s concept, however, originated from when her grandfather left Japan to fight for the Soviet Union in the China-Japan dispute from 1931 to 1935.
“It was a symbolic moment for me,” Soejima said after the talk. “It not only showed the moment of the passenger leaving, but also it was a gift from my grandfather.”
Shane Lavalette, director of Light Work and curator for the show, said Soejima doesn’t usually make art that is considered typical. He first knew of Soejima through her book, and then later helped her arrange the gallery show.
“She has different elements and she has the intuitive sense of how to bring things together,” Lavalette said.
The real world issues and social issues brought up in Soejima’s photos add human elements in her artwork. It is important, Lavalette said, to understand the universal things and then relate them with each other.