2015 The Decameron
Several Tales of Love
Boccaccio’s iconic novel, The Decameron, unfolds as a collection of stories told over ten nights by ten people. I drew hints from this anthology format when composing the exhibition. It struck me as incredible that the stories in the novel were written during an era when the Christian church occupied a position of power within society, as the content touches on matters of gender, religion, and class without prejudice and each episode is overflowing with love for humanity.
Tales of the Unforgotten
This piece was inspired by Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel “Never Let me Go”. The characters in the novel have everything have taken from them but hang on to precious memories as the anchor that enables them to continue living with dignity. The novel describes a place called the "lost corner”, where all lost property can be found. If such a place did exist in real life, I imagine it would look like the cape pictured in the painting.
I hope that everyone who has lost much is able to locate their mementos…
The Lady who Loved Insects
An episode from the Heian era story Tsutsumi Chūnagon Monogatari.
The princess who appears in the story is said to have been the inspiration for the heroine of the film Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Her efforts to seek out others, even those of a different species, and learn as much as she can from their lives struck me as the ideal stance for a human being.
Tales of Infinite Longing
Gabriel García Márquez wrote a novel about a man who spent a half century longing to be with one woman. The man trusts what’s in his heart above all else and never gives up, engineering his life to prepare him for the day when his longings will be fulfilled. I was moved by his faith and given inspiration in my own life.