Three goddesses, people might even say sphinxes, rise gracefully in a field of blooming canola flowers. These icons, crafted from steel frame and industrial net typically used in farms, stand quietly, blending seamlessly into the landscape. In Japan, a land blessed with mountains, oceans, and flowering trees, divinity has long been believed to reside within nature itself. From modern times to the ancient era of Yayoi and Jomon, the tapestry of this landscape—shaped by time, shaped by hands—tells the story of lives intertwined with the land. This grand and embracing work seems to gently and silently watch over the people, the insects, the birds, and all living things that call this place home.
■Hiroko Kubo
Born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1987, Kubo received her MFA from Texas Christian University in 2013. Based on her research of prehistoric art, ethnic art, and cultural anthropological theories, she uses everyday materials to create sculpture works. Recent major exhibitions include, solo show “Steel framed Goddess” (POLA MUSEUM ANNEX, Tokyo, Japan, 2024), “Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2024” (Niigata, 2024), “GO FOR KOGEI” (Kansui Park, Toyama, Japan, 2023), and “The Romantic Route 3 Art Festival” (Miaoli,Taiwan, 2023). Her large works are in the collections of KAMU KANAZAWA (Ishikawa, Japan), Chishima Foundation for Creative Osaka (Osaka, Japan) and IZAK CO.,LTD.(Toyama)