Original Painting and Supervisor |
Artist KIYOKAWA Asami KIYOKAWA Asami |
|---|
2023
H2.7m × W6.0m
Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Toranomon Hills Station, 2nd basement floor, concourse inside the ticket gate
Full view of the artwork (from the left)
Close-up of the artwork (detail)
Close-up of the artwork (detail)
Close-up of the artwork (detail)
Close-up of the artwork (detail)
Production Notes
This artwork was supervised by Ms. Kiyokawa, who spent two months developing ideas from the initial painting stage. Through repeated prototyping, they explored a “new form of stained glass that conveys visual movement” without the use of lead cames. It was then produced over a period of approximately eight months by seven stained glass craftspeople at CREARE Atami-Yugawara Studio (hereinafter “CREARE”) in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture. Measuring approximately 2.7 meters in height and 6.0 meters in width, the piece utilizes a total of 3,351 pieces of glass across 243 different varieties.
Furthermore, a three-dimensional effect and sense of motion are achieved by layering patterned glass with a high lenticular effect over the stained glass, which changes its appearance depending on the viewing angle.
This is the first multi-layered stained glass artwork produced by CREARE. Additionally, the number of glass pieces used per unit area is the highest among all the artworks CREARE has created to date.
Planning ： Japan Traffic Culture Association
Sponsorship ： Mori Building Co., Ltd., Metro Cultural Foundation Public Interest Incorporated Foundation
Artist Profile
KIYOKAWA Asami
KIYOKAWA Asami
Artist
Born in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. She is currently based in Tokyo.She first gained public attention in the 1990s as a magazine model. In the early 2000s, while studying fashion at Bunka Fashion College, she began her artistic practice, exploring the possibilities of fashion and self-expression. Since then, she has held numerous exhibitions in Japan and abroad, attracting widespread critical and public attention.
Kiyokawa's work examines the differences and contradictions that arise between the inner and outer aspects of personal identity in a society constantly inundated with vast amounts of information through social media, magazines, and other forms of mass media. Through her practice, she seeks to make these often invisible tensions visible.
She is best known for her distinctive technique of embroidering directly onto photographs, magazines, books, and fabric. Her major series include Bijo Saishu (Beautiful Harvest), Complex, and TOKYO MONSTER. In addition to presenting solo exhibitions and participating in group exhibitions and art fairs around the world, she has expanded her creative practice to include advertising, film, spatial design, and product design. She is also active in the creation of picture books and regional revitalization projects.
Location ： Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Toranomon Hills Station, 2nd basement floor, concourse inside the ticket gate
Artist's Comments
Cities are built upon the accumulation of memories from the people who pass through them. In this artwork, I have created an image of a new city that no one has ever seen before by gathering landscapes from cities I have visited all over the world.
Each city landscape is layered with glass of various shapes and colors, adding unique visual effects. From this vast collection of transformed images, the history and cultural diversity of each city, along with their overlapping narratives, begin to emerge.
Within these urban images—a collage of countless places and times—we may rediscover the past memories that shape who we are today. At the same time, they serve as a catalyst that stimulates our imagination for tomorrow.
The glass, filled with diverse glimmers, adds color to the lives of those who gather in Toranomon, amplifying their hope and energy for the future. A city like no other, where the past and future are woven together. It is my hope that this nostalgic yet new cityscape will further illuminate Toranomon as a hub of information.