'The Spirit to Respect'

Art Residency Program at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan

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Created during the artist’s residency in Fukuoka, Japan, these works emerged from her observations of the city’s many shrines and temples, which are among its notable cultural destinations. As she visited these places, the artist began to recognize a familiar relationship between Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, one that resonated with the coexistence of Confucian and Buddhist traditions she experienced growing up in her family.

Despite being familiar with these traditions, the artist had often felt distant from their underlying beliefs and meanings. Her time in Fukuoka prompted a renewed curiosity, leading her to explore the connections between religions through their cultural expressions and presence in everyday life. What initially felt unfamiliar gradually became a way to reconsider her own relationship with spirituality and cultural identity.

During her residency, the artist also had the opportunity to speak with several members of a local shrine. One response stayed with her: “Shinto is being Japanese itself.” This simple statement offered a different perspective on Shinto—not merely as a set of religious beliefs or rituals, but as something deeply embedded in everyday life and cultural identity.

These works serve as visual diaries of the artist’s observations, tracing the subtle connections between the spiritual and the secular. Through ordinary objects and familiar scenes, they explore how everyday gestures, habits, and attitudes can carry traces of Shinto wisdom, even when their spiritual significance is not immediately apparent.

What resonated with the artist most was the profound respect for all things, particularly nature, that she encountered through Shinto. In a world increasingly shaped by human intervention and the pursuit of progress, this perspective invites us to reconsider our place within it. Perhaps humans are not the only beings that inhabit this world, nor are they the only ones whose existence deserves recognition. These works reflect on the unseen presences around us, inviting us to rediscover a sense of respect for the many forms of life and spirit that share our world.