Dialogue - Arisa Kawai -

Just being

Arisa started making accessories using plants around the time she quit her job as a company employee.

"The pace was increasing and I became busier and busier, and I began to feel a gap between who I really was and what I was doing, and I just couldn't get my hands moving."

He says that in his busy schedules he felt like he was losing sight of himself, and as he reexamined how he was spending his time, he was moved to tears by the beauty of plants and natural objects.

"It's beautiful just by being there. I thought it was so wonderful. That's why I want as many people as possible to know about its beauty, and I feel like wearing it will bring me closer to that kind of beauty."

It's like a talisman that gives you the security you need to live in this world.

"Maybe wearing natural objects helps me feel a little more like myself."

Arisa's accessory creations begin with a natural flow of emotion.

After retiring, he became attracted to the beauty and power of plants, and as he handled and touched them every day, he realized that he had created many works of art.

In six months, I will have my first solo exhibition at a gallery in Kyoto.

His solo exhibition garnered a great response, and as he continued his creative endeavors, he attracted the sympathy of many people who shared the same ideas, and he began to hold exhibitions in various places.

High purity

We began receiving inquiries from gallery owners in various prefectures, and at one point we were extremely busy, with exhibitions booked up for two years in advance.

"I think that what I create now is different from what I created two years ago. I felt a bit conflicted as I worked on creating every day with my schedule fully booked for the near future."

The starting point of Arisa's creative endeavors is her desire to simply live in the present with pure feelings, just as plants live as they are.

"What I value most is 'high purity'. Rather than just doing something as a job, I want to live my life savoring the beauty that can only be born in this moment. I think that doing things that naturally take shape and turn into expression as I live my life here and now is something that is extremely pure and beautiful."

From something like prayer

On top of a mountain in Kimino Town, Wakayama Prefecture.

Since 2020, Arisa has been gradually clearing the land and now lives with her husband, the artist Shoda, on a mountain they have named "Irodoriyama."

In May 2021, she opened "ens," a gallery that conveys the beauty of the world through the people, artworks, exciting things, events, and experiences that have been born from the various lifestyles and philosophies that Arisa has come into contact with throughout her life.

"From the beginning, I imagined a small countryside church. When I traveled to Europe and other places, I was always captivated by small churches in rural towns. More than any magnificent church architecture, I was always drawn to small churches that contain the prayerful hearts of the people of the land. I am not a Christian, but I remember naturally wanting to join hands and pray. This place is not a church, but I hope that it will be a place where someone can feel something beautiful, even if it is just a small thing, in their heart."

A phenomenon rather than an expression

The exhibition "Shotatsu Kawai Arisa Couple Exhibition "Tamakiharu"" will be held at Utsushiki from Saturday, September 18th.

Arisa will be holding a singing session starting at 6:30pm on Sunday the 26th.

About two years ago, she started singing and reciting poetry after performing with her friend, the musician Haruka Nakamura. After moving to Irodoriyama, she began creating original songs and playing them on the guitar. The music she plays is a natural product of the feelings, culture and lifestyle of living in this area.

From the outside, it seems that Arisa is a versatile artist who can do anything, from making accessories to running a gallery, to participating in art and music activities. For Arisa, these are simply a series of events that arise naturally, without being bound by the definition of words.

"For me, creating things has been necessary for me to survive in this world, ever since I couldn't find my place in society. Rather than expression, I feel it is closer to a phenomenon. I think phenomena are things that occur naturally. I didn't start making accessories with the intention of making it a career, I started making them for myself, and it just so happened to become my livelihood. As I change as I live, I want to spend my time being influenced by the phenomena that naturally emerge for me. I would like to continue to give shape to my body's reactions more intuitively, without hesitation."