WAY

This work translates my favorite song, Lady Gaga’s “BORN THIS WAY,” into a single line. The line spells “WAY,” yet I shaped it so that it can also be read as the Japanese character for “道,” meaning “path.”

Last year, through my work, I met a woman who made me think more deeply about how every person carries their own unseen stories and struggles. Her appearance suggested one thing, yet she was in fact sincere, hardworking, and pure-hearted. She faced me honestly and even stood as a shield for me at times, and through her I began to question whether we should ever judge someone by appearances alone, ignoring what lies beneath.

This piece is my message of encouragement:

You are fine just as you are.

Please walk your own path with confidence.

May you choose hope over despair, even if it is only a small glimmer.

The final stroke of gold embodies that glimmer of hope, shining quietly at the end of the line.

The hanging scroll is mounted with “Tango chirimen,” a traditional silk crepe fabric with a three-hundred-year history from the artist’s home region in northern Kyoto Prefecture, the Tango area.

For this work, a special bolt of fabric was woven with a crane motif exclusively for the artist, then dyed in a carefully selected shade of red to match the image of the piece