We all live our lives having many different ideas. Getting to know those ideas, accepting them honestly and listening to them attentively, we can realise our own possibilities. In the limited time of our lives, we feel grateful for the miraculous encounters we have, and we admire each other. Through such experiences, life becomes more interesting as we each also refine and train our senses. We believe that this can be referred to as one of the aspects of “richness”.

The word “richness” projects images of being satisfied without desiring anything more. What we focus on this time, however, is not the material values we privilege in modern times, but the “richness” that everyone has in equal measure, nurtured in our spirit.

To connect, to link together. To bind. To write letters and to link words together. The word ‘Tsuzuru’ is an expression that places emphasis on the individual. We have named this exhibition with this word as a theme that expresses spiritual universality: we can enrich ourselves together by interacting with each other.

WONDER FULL LIFE is a creative project by Chikako Owaki. Metalwork, dyeing, weaving, ceramics, clothing, photography, music, writing, …; makers and creators, usually working independently in different fields, encounter, discover unseen visions together, and repeatedly exchange dialogues to give form to their senses and impulses.

Mud-dyeing handed down from ancient times, forged and shaped brass, pottery and earthenware made of rich, breathing soil. Botanical dyeing extracting new value from wilted flowers. Music conveying and enhancing these creations for our ears. Cloths, such as Indian kantha, holding thoughts of those who have spent each and every moment of their lives respectfully.

This exhibition introduces pieces of materials and archives that Owaki has treasured from the project. Furthermore, it also features a collection of objects that bind the connections with her fellow artists, including a large-scale work woven with her own “hands” guided by the “sensations” developed when encountering them.

We believe that this exhibition shows one of the motivations to live a “Pleasant Life”, that MUJI has been suggesting. Hopefully, the new forms of creativity in this exhibition, composed and shown here, will inspire you to rediscover the joy of encounters, the pleasure of gathering together and the importance of getting involved with one another.

ATELIER MUJI GINZA

Message

Countless shining stars in the night sky. We have sometimes linked them to the shapes of animals and objects, and to the magnificent stories of the gods as constellations, then using them as indicators for deciphering our destiny when we contemplate our future. It is natural for us to become aware of our individual existence, to connect to one another, and to continuously develop our imagination and creation. It also seems to be essential for living an enriching life.

WONDER FULL LIFE has been expanding unknown creative fields and discovering unseen visions through encounters and dialogues with makers and artists working independently in different fields.

During this process, small realisations and questions arise. As we move further along, hand in hand together, exchanging thoughts, new paths emerge that we must follow. Diverse perspectives and organic vibrations, coming from continuous separations, intersections, confluence or parallel processes, resonate and respond to all of us in the world: not only to those who create, but also to those who receive and appreciate creations.

We are all still standing in the middle of the road. Connecting the dots and complementing each other, the events described here envision our future, leading to a new round of events.

──WONDER FULL LIFE