'Artist of the Month'......March 2023
'Voice' of this month on Lost In Jewellery Magazine is artist
SAYUMI YOKOUCHI
Sayumi Yokouchi is a Japanese artist, currently based in Tokyo, Japan. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Metal Arts from State University of New York in New Paltz. After finishing her MFA, her fascination towards making jewlery kept her active in the field of contemporary jewelry. Her work has been exhibited both solo and group in museums and galleries nationally and internationally, as well as her works sited in numerous publications. She was an adjunct professor in the Art Department at New York University until 2017 before returning to Tokyo. She has over 20 years of teaching experience in art programs at many schools in the United States, she has also given creative interdisciplinary workshops and seminars worldwide, including Japan, Argentina, Chile, Thailand, Hong Kong, Europe and Armenia.
Artist SAYUMI YOKOUCHI
Where is your inspiration coming from?
"My work employs strategies of repetition and systems of order with use of various materials. I’m interested when materials and processes become the site for making work. All begins with wonderful randomness of thoughts and questions that are formed by the collection of experimentations and inspirations around the materials and I visually translate them into my language. Through this process, the objects offer a poetic response. My cultural background (Japanese) has a great impact for inspiration and has cultivated my curiosity for the natural world. In the city, it is obvious that manmade nature and representation of natural objects are seemingly more natural. The unique balance between real and artificial shaped my fascination towards designing something tangible and unusual in a small wearable objects." SAYUMI YOKOUCHI
"My work employs strategies of repetition and systems of order with use of various materials. I’m interested when materials and processes become the site for making work. All begins with wonderful randomness of thoughts and questions that are formed by the collection of experimentations and inspirations around the materials and I visually translate them into my language. Through this process, the objects offer a poetic response. My cultural background (Japanese) has a great impact for inspiration and has cultivated my curiosity for the natural world. In the city, it is obvious that manmade nature and representation of natural objects are seemingly more natural. The unique balance between real and artificial shaped my fascination towards designing something tangible and unusual in a small wearable objects." SAYUMI YOKOUCHI
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Artist SAYUMI YOKOUCHI
Artist Interview
Artist SAYUMI YOKOUCHI Brief Interview with Lost in Jewellery Magazine
1 Where is your inspiration coming from?
My work employs strategies of repetition and systems of order with use of various materials. I’m interested when materials and processes become the site for making work. All begins with wonderful randomness of thoughts and questions that are formed by the collection of experimentations and inspirations around the materials and I visually translate them into my language. Through this process, the objects offer a poetic response.
My cultural background (Japanese) has a great impact for inspiration and has cultivated my curiosity for the natural world. In the city, it is obvious that manmade nature and representation of natural objects are seemingly more natural. The unique balance between real and artificial shaped my fascination towards designing something tangible and unusual in a small wearable objects.
2 What are you trying to communicate with your art work?
What I do is strongly connected to tools and materials in relations to various methods and history.
Creating jewelry is like to know the world. and art provides me the opportunity to connect with others.
3 Which material do you prefer to use and why?
I prefer mainly metals (gold, silver, copper, brass, nickel), because I simply love the characteristic of metal.
I also incorporate non-metal materials as well. I like combining with metal because I like having them introduce to each other. I have used found objects such as plastic, paper, thread, paint and things from the natural world.
4 How much value do you give to researching material for your creations?
The notion of finding the voice in the materials is the departure for my work, and the research is based on the material handling and collecting. I value the infinite expression of tactility that are offered through the process of making.
5 Is it more important for you the process, or the final art work.
To me the process is as much important as the final work.
I enjoy developing the intimate relationship with the object during the process.
6 Is there an artist you prefer & admire and why?
Artists/teacher who taught me and influenced my art thinking and practice:
Sheila Hicks Sol LeWitt Agnes Martin Daniel Kruger
Lynda Watson Iris Bodemer Myra Mimlitsch-Gray Tone Vigeland
June Schwartz Ann Hamilton Morihito Katsura Sophie Taeuber-Arp
I admire how they speak through their techniques and materials.
Shapes, patterns, arrangements and order, needless to say its concept.
7 Have you ever thought to collaborate with other artists, or do you like to work on your own.
I have been collaborating with Mari Ishikawa (Japan) and Mikiko Minewaki (Japan) since 2018.In 2020 we established Invisible Thread as a group of artists. The exhibition explores the Japanese mind from the unique perspective of the Japanese contemporary jewelry artists. The highlight of the exhibition is a collaboration between the three artists and Rui Minewaki, a Senryu poetry artist who has been practicing in Japan for over 40 years.
Senryu is a Japanese short-form of poetry unique to Japan, and it often expresses everyday life with a worldview that captures the “now”. Each Senryu along with the artists’ works are displayed together with selected English keywords to convey nuances that are difficult to capture in Japanese translation.
We had our first exhibition in 2021 January at BKV in Munich Germany, then 2021 March at Micheko Gallery in Munich Germany, and also 2022 January at BKV in Munich Germany. We are in the process of making the fourth exhibition and currently seeking new venues.
I really enjoy working as a group because not only get to know more of each other, each of our “essence” interacts and emerges into one place. It's a really beautiful process. During the time of pandemic chaos, I really appreciate that we had each other and that we were able to overcome the difficulties of both making and showing works, and that sharing the joy of the exhibition opening is ten times more!
8 Where do you feel you are at with your last art collection?
The last collection/project brought ways with other possibilities for the next. So not sure where exactly I am, but I know for sure each project shapes my vision.
9 What have you discovered about yourself as an artist along the years?
To be lost is to know the way (myself).
Art is to be shared and to connect with people.
Without art, I would not be where I am today.
10 Two words to describe your last artwork collection.
interact / intermingle
The recent exhibition:
Trash/Treasure exhibition at ATTA gallery in Bangkok, Thailand.
I made jewelry and small sculptural objects with used security envelopes with printed pattern inside.
www.attagallery.com
A Piece of GOLD at Wacoal Studyhall in Kyoto, Japan.
The exhibition is focused on the gold, design, jewelry. I used ethically upcycled gold for my pieces.
www.a-piece-of-gold.com
FRAME with ATTA Gallery during the Munich Jewellery Week
A series of brooches created with small pieces of coils in various colors and arranged patterns.
1 Where is your inspiration coming from?
My work employs strategies of repetition and systems of order with use of various materials. I’m interested when materials and processes become the site for making work. All begins with wonderful randomness of thoughts and questions that are formed by the collection of experimentations and inspirations around the materials and I visually translate them into my language. Through this process, the objects offer a poetic response.
My cultural background (Japanese) has a great impact for inspiration and has cultivated my curiosity for the natural world. In the city, it is obvious that manmade nature and representation of natural objects are seemingly more natural. The unique balance between real and artificial shaped my fascination towards designing something tangible and unusual in a small wearable objects.
2 What are you trying to communicate with your art work?
What I do is strongly connected to tools and materials in relations to various methods and history.
Creating jewelry is like to know the world. and art provides me the opportunity to connect with others.
3 Which material do you prefer to use and why?
I prefer mainly metals (gold, silver, copper, brass, nickel), because I simply love the characteristic of metal.
I also incorporate non-metal materials as well. I like combining with metal because I like having them introduce to each other. I have used found objects such as plastic, paper, thread, paint and things from the natural world.
4 How much value do you give to researching material for your creations?
The notion of finding the voice in the materials is the departure for my work, and the research is based on the material handling and collecting. I value the infinite expression of tactility that are offered through the process of making.
5 Is it more important for you the process, or the final art work.
To me the process is as much important as the final work.
I enjoy developing the intimate relationship with the object during the process.
6 Is there an artist you prefer & admire and why?
Artists/teacher who taught me and influenced my art thinking and practice:
Sheila Hicks Sol LeWitt Agnes Martin Daniel Kruger
Lynda Watson Iris Bodemer Myra Mimlitsch-Gray Tone Vigeland
June Schwartz Ann Hamilton Morihito Katsura Sophie Taeuber-Arp
I admire how they speak through their techniques and materials.
Shapes, patterns, arrangements and order, needless to say its concept.
7 Have you ever thought to collaborate with other artists, or do you like to work on your own.
I have been collaborating with Mari Ishikawa (Japan) and Mikiko Minewaki (Japan) since 2018.In 2020 we established Invisible Thread as a group of artists. The exhibition explores the Japanese mind from the unique perspective of the Japanese contemporary jewelry artists. The highlight of the exhibition is a collaboration between the three artists and Rui Minewaki, a Senryu poetry artist who has been practicing in Japan for over 40 years.
Senryu is a Japanese short-form of poetry unique to Japan, and it often expresses everyday life with a worldview that captures the “now”. Each Senryu along with the artists’ works are displayed together with selected English keywords to convey nuances that are difficult to capture in Japanese translation.
We had our first exhibition in 2021 January at BKV in Munich Germany, then 2021 March at Micheko Gallery in Munich Germany, and also 2022 January at BKV in Munich Germany. We are in the process of making the fourth exhibition and currently seeking new venues.
I really enjoy working as a group because not only get to know more of each other, each of our “essence” interacts and emerges into one place. It's a really beautiful process. During the time of pandemic chaos, I really appreciate that we had each other and that we were able to overcome the difficulties of both making and showing works, and that sharing the joy of the exhibition opening is ten times more!
8 Where do you feel you are at with your last art collection?
The last collection/project brought ways with other possibilities for the next. So not sure where exactly I am, but I know for sure each project shapes my vision.
9 What have you discovered about yourself as an artist along the years?
To be lost is to know the way (myself).
Art is to be shared and to connect with people.
Without art, I would not be where I am today.
10 Two words to describe your last artwork collection.
interact / intermingle
The recent exhibition:
Trash/Treasure exhibition at ATTA gallery in Bangkok, Thailand.
I made jewelry and small sculptural objects with used security envelopes with printed pattern inside.
www.attagallery.com
A Piece of GOLD at Wacoal Studyhall in Kyoto, Japan.
The exhibition is focused on the gold, design, jewelry. I used ethically upcycled gold for my pieces.
www.a-piece-of-gold.com
FRAME with ATTA Gallery during the Munich Jewellery Week
A series of brooches created with small pieces of coils in various colors and arranged patterns.
Artist SAYUMI YOKOUCHI
How much value do you give to researching material for your creations?
"The notion of finding the voice in the materials is the departure for my work, and the research is based on the material handling and collecting. I value the infinite expression of tactility that are offered through the process of making." SAYUMI YOKOUCHI
"The notion of finding the voice in the materials is the departure for my work, and the research is based on the material handling and collecting. I value the infinite expression of tactility that are offered through the process of making." SAYUMI YOKOUCHI
