Arteles Catalogue 2023-2020

Silence Awareness Existence program / MARCH 2022
Yukari Suematsu
Japan
yukarisuematsu.wixsite.com/mysite
About
My work stems from my interest in the contradiction that we
as individuals and as a society can be both deeply virtuous
and brutally prejudiced and discriminatory at the same time.
Through painting, I attempt to understand who we are
through examining the discrepancy between reality and what
are presented as ideals we hold as a society. The motifs in
my paintings are created through a method of processing
my personal experiences to transform them into something
universal that can resonate with other people in various
walks of life.
The titles are also the result of taking specific, personal
descriptions and putting it into language that the viewer can
empathize with as their own experience. I then experiment with
scale, format, colors, and compositions through numerous
preparatory sketches. While there is meticulous prep work
involved, I believe the theme is only completed upon the
viewer’s experience of self-reflection and questioning.
Visions of a Torn World
During my stay, I used my own body to get a sense of the
place where I stayed and to create artwork. Therefore, I
walked an average of 15,000 steps a day to explore the area,
and when I returned from my walks, I would draw sketches
from memory.
When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed by the snowy
landscape as far as the eye could see, and I worried whether
I would be able to continue working for as long as a month.
However, the season changed step by step, showing us
different expressions.
I feel that this change is sometimes cruel and sometimes
hopeful.
The abstract or figurative form of the work combined with the
descriptive titles, as well as the large scale of work and their
placement in the exhibition space are all elements that I work
with to create an experiential space for the viewer.