Mika Horie
Photography on Handmade Japanese Paper
Concept of Mika Horie’s Artwork
I begin by sustainably harvesting wild gampi trees as my
predecessors did, in such a way that they can grow back
every year from the wild trees, then make all handmade
papers using the bark of the trees and spring water.
At the same time, I take black and white photographs
of the landscape, and use the negatives to make cyanotype
prints on my paper by iron salts and sunlight. The photos
become part of the paper―these indigo and off-white
prints are strong enough to last more than 1000 years.
Everything here constantly and momentarily flows to the past.
Layers of the past are continuously created day by day.
Layers of the past.
Points of time.
The intangible future.
Time never stops and flows naturally.
Indigo symbolizes the earth, plants and creatures.
Mika Horie is trying to walk into the flow, then stop thinking a tense,
capture and contrast timelessness and impermanence.
Therefore, she pictures indigo.
Profile
Originally from Kyoto, Japan in 1984. My interest in photography and Japanese paper-making began in BA in Information Design at Kyoto University of Art and Design. In 2008, I moved to the United Kingdom for my one-year study in MA European Arts Practice (Fine Art) at Kingston University London. Throughout my life in Europe, I developed her interest in exploring Japanese aesthetic point of views and sense of humor in our everyday life with various artworks beyond two-dimensional media. In 2013, I established my own studio space in a small mountain in the village of Yamanaka Onsen/ Kaga-city in Japan. I travel around the world for photographing landscapes, still-life, and portraits, then making Gampi Japanese papers from pure wild trees and spring water. Furthermore, I make cyanotype prints by iron-salt and sunlight. Silence, imperfectness of human, subtle sense of humor. Those are my aim to expresses on her handmade papers.
Art Fair
Photo Basel (Basel, Switzerland), 2019
Art Market San Francisco (San Francisco, USA), 2019
BAMA (Busan, Republic of Korea), 2019
Art on Paper (New York, USA)
Artrooms Fair in Seoul (Seoul, South Korea), 2018
Unseen (Amsterdam, Holland), 2018
Photo Basel (Basel, Switzerland), 2018
Photo London 2018 (London, UK), 2018
KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa (Ishikawa, JAPAN), 2017
PAN Art Fair (Amsterdam, Holland), 2016
Group Exhibition
NEKO Project (IBASHO gallery, Antwerp, BELGIUM), 2019
NEKO Project (Galerie ARGENTIC, Paris, FRANCE), 2019
On the Planet (Studio B____, Los Angeles, USA), 2019
JCAT SHOWCASE 2018 JAPANISM (One Art Space, New York, USA), 2018
FEMALE FORCE FROM JAPAN (IBASHO Gallery, Antwerp, BELGIUM)), 2017
SHOW CASE_44 (Ouchi Gallery, New York, USA), 2016
Solo Exhibition
WATERFRONT Ⅱ (KG+ KYOTOGRAPHIE Satellite exhibition, trace, Kyoto, JAPAN), 2018
Kodamasuru (Gallery Misyo, Ishikawa, JAPAN), 2017
WATERFRONT (trace, Kyoto, JAPAN), 2017
B3-304 (Ouchi Gallery, New York, USA), 2017
Congress
IAPMA(International Association of Papermakers and Paper Artists) PAPER International
Congress (Brasilia University, Brasilia, Brazil), 2016
Private Collection
Olnick Spanu (New York, USA)
Gallery
IBASHO Gallery (Antwerp, BELGIUM))
Kayotei (Ishikawa, JAPAN)
Kentler International Drawing Space (New York, USA)
Beniya Mukayu (Ishikawa, JAPAN)
le sentiment des choses (Paris, FRANCE)
Art 551 (Ishikawa, JAPAN)
Hotel Ethnography (Kyoto, JAPAN)
Sokyo (Kyoto, JAPAN)
Waterfall Mansion & Gallery (New York, USA)
Verne Collection (Ohio, USA)
Art All Ways (Los Angeles, USA)
Photo ©︎ Kazuya Yamaguchi