Mizuha (Sacred Blue Earth) / NY,USA

The Mizuha pieces were born of a desire to abide with the gods of water (mizu).
Expressing a series of concentric circles as waves of light charged with the currents of ki amidst sparkling ripples of energy, this work of karakami is based on Toto Akihiko’s concept of working in concert with all the gods. Karakami culture has been passed down as a traditional craft for a thousand years, and in introducing a new way forward for the world of karakami, this piece manages to transcend the gap between art and craft. Reaching beyond the horizon of pictorial art, it is a truly innovative example of contemporary art.

The legendary dragon turtle Longgui is not merely a messenger of the gods, filled with spiritual energy. One day, it will transform into a dragon and rise into the heavens, carrying the people’s prayers with it to fulfill their wishes and protect world peace. That is the message of this karakami piece. Combining the Western technique of pointillism with the Eastern technique of tarashikomi, Toto Akihiko has developed his own original technique of “shifuku printing,” in which he uses his own fingers to color the paper thousands or even tens of thousands of times. The deep blue karakami works created by this technique are filled with the poetic sentiment created in concert with all the gods and spirits and beloved as the spiritual “Toto Blue.”

Continued discontinuities…
Although things might look disjointed and scattered at first glance, if one takes a step back, then the stringing together of repeated movements gradually reveals a beauty dwelling within, creating rhythms.

Something invisible to the eye.
A silent sound.
Wind.
Scent…
The beauty of irregularity, shadows and margins…
The shimmering of a shadow.
A face.
A presence…

These constitute the Japanese esthetic itself.

What I seek is the beauty of the ultimate karakami artwork. It is an unfinished beauty that is completed within the onlooker’s heart when he looks upon such a piece of karakami imbued with a living presence.

East and West connect through karakami in a prayer for world peace.
This piece was born as a prayer and appeared in the world.

It awakens the gods in this godless world.

Coincidence and inevitability
The intended and the unintended.

Locked in a struggle, they intertwine, spiral, blend, and overlap with each other. As they do so, they shorten their lives trying to perceive light and shadows in this world of confusion.

And the process of craftwork? It is to pray to these shifting shadows born of the chaos, as if clinging to them. In the final moments, it always comes down to a prayer.

At the center of the piece is a blue pearl. I placed it there as a prayer for the advent of a world of peace and beauty.

But what is peace?

Our world today is burdened by many problems, but in Japan we have a concept called “aeru.” Written with the Chinese character for “harmony,” it refers to the mixing and harmonizing of diverse things in a way that creates new value. Although it is similar in meaning to “blending” or “intermingling,” it is different from the way that things can sometimes “mix” to the point of losing their individual characteristics. The meaning of “aeru” is for two or more things that are unlike each other to exist together while keeping their own form and substance alive.

I believe that the essence of harmony is the power to lead us to peace by calming, softening, and enabling us to exist with others while retaining ourselves. In the end, I prayed for a beautiful and tranquil world of peace and harmony.

December 2023
Karakami Artist Toto Akihiko