Autumn, or aki, in Japan is a busy season. Temperatures and tempers cool down after the hot summers. Autumn is said to be the time for reading, sports, dining, and the arts. Many galleries have fantastic shows, and many towns and cities have art festivals. Ma’arui Hiroba no Kami de Asobu was one show in autumn, and I have two more coming up: one complex one in Kyoto and one in Ginza.

I knew that recycled paper would come in handy! I thought everybody had to make their own recycled paper for the show in Chiba, since I was not familiar with the names of local businesses in that area. No problem! It happened to be the perfect size for the show at the Keifu gallery in Kyoto. I do not know if  this will be the final piece or not, but it is a start.

These are also works in progress. Believe it or not, the two small panels go together to make one long thing piece.

I did not pick the sizes. Everybody has to make two pieces for a show of small art, and the sizes are specified. I was told the sizes were WSM (45.5 cm x 15.7 cm and SO (18 cm x 18 cm). In Japan, standard sizes for canvases and panels are given alphabetic codes. By the way, “W” is not listed. That is a casual abbreviation meaning “double”. Get it? “Double U”? Many people shorten the name of the letter and just call it “double”. The small square is not a standard size but can be ordered from the shops. The double size is also not standard, but I simply combined two panels as you can see. I had to explain the W to a Japanese artist friend who helped confirm the contents.

Group shows or group projects are always challenging when it comes to communication, and doing it in another language is not even the hardest part. A strong leader, like Masako Otani at Space Galleria, makes a huge difference.