top of page

Mujo  - the power of positiveness -   (2018-, on going )

 

English / 日本語

The water flowing through the river is never the same. As the seasons rotate, leaf buds grow and die.

Mujo, or impermanence, which means nothing never stays the same. This is one of the Japanese aesthetic senses that we have since the middle ages. 

One day, I visited a village to see stone Buddhist images which were made a thousand years ago. Standing in front of them, one thought came up to my mind; “everything is impermanent and they always come and go.” These stone statues must have watched over many lives and deaths of people, people’s deep prayers, authorities’ successes and ruins and families’ deep sorrow. People in old times must have wished for their life-betterment.     

 

In Japan, we have been suffered from many natural disasters and power struggles, and so many people’s lives were lost. Many of the painful experiences that we have been through have taught us that nothing would grow from sorrows. Then we learned everything is timeless and impermanent.

 

We have to realize that prosperity doesn’t last forever. We shouldn’t be bloated with pride. We shouldn’t lament over the misfortune. The timelessness and impermanence is the source of positiveness. Even if the past pains and sorrows break our hearts, we try to accept them as destiny. We will change our focus in a positive way and move toward the next step. This is what we have learned from our ancestors. 

 

The flowers bloom and can’t last forever. But it never forgets to bloom beautifully next year. Even if it is a hard time now, the things will get better soon next. I hope everybody keeps that in mind and believe in tomorrow.

Information

archival pigment print

print media: Japanese paper

(1) Large size <edition number: 10> (IseWashi 'Baseo')

      - media size: 950 x 420 mm (37.4 x 16.5 inch)

      - image size: 850 x 340 mm (33.5 x 13.4 inch)

(2) Small size (A2) <edition number: 20> (IseWashi 'IseHishi Husyo')

      - media size: 630 x 420 mm (24.8 x 16.5 inch)

      - image size: 550 x 220 mm (21.7 x 8.7 inch)

bottom of page