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2024 ~ 2025 YAMBARU ART Exhibiting at Oriental Hotel Okinawa
YAMBARU ART FESTIVAL 2024-2025
This year's theme is "Yambaru Honzen" (loose translation: Yambaru's original nature). The aim of the festival is to use art to consistently communicate the appeal of Yambaru to the world. We have exhibited art works at our hotel eight times. There is more attention for this area because of the registration of Yambaru as a Natural World Heritage Site. And so we will continue to support the art festival located at the entrance to Yambaru and partner together with various art events.
This year's theme is "Yambaru Honzen" (loose translation: Yambaru's original nature). The aim of the festival is to use art to consistently communicate the appeal of Yambaru to the world. We have exhibited art works at our hotel eight times. There is more attention for this area because of the registration of Yambaru as a Natural World Heritage Site. And so we will continue to support the art festival located at the entrance to Yambaru and partner together with various art events.
Dance With Me / Water Mirror ~A Heritage of Water and Light~
Dance With Me / Water Mirror ~A Heritage of Water and Light~
Art Collective YouRuMaru's work "Dance with me / Water Mirror ~A Heritage of Water and Light~" is being exhibited as part of the Yambaru Art Festival and will will be exhibited in the hotel lobby atrium from Saturday, December 14, 2024 until Monday, February 24, 2025.
Art Concept
Yambaru, Okinawa's northern sanctuary, is a realm bathed in sunlight and nourished by abundant water. Its pristine nature and vibrant ecosystem offer a testament to the enduring power of these fundamental elements.
Yet, as we often take these life-sustaining forces for granted, our spiritual connection to the natural world wavers.
The Omoro Soushi, Okinawa's traditional folk songs,contains many references to water, as well as references to former kings of Ryukyu being likened to the sun. Throughout Okinawa the many sacred shrines and places of worship highlight the deep-rooted significance of water and light in Okinawan culture.
Yambaru's inhabitants possess a unique spatial awareness, encompassing both the ocean and the mountains. Their rituals honoring nature blend seamlessly with daily life, as exemplified by the centuries-old Ugan festival in Shinugu in the Ada area where both the mountain god and the ocean god are worshipped.
This holistic perspective, rooted in traditional Japanese thought and seeming to be especially prevalent in Yambaru, fosters a free-spirited consciousness that embraces both the individual and the interconnectedness of all things.
In our age of AI-driven personalization, it's easy to lose sight of this broader perspective. By compartmentalizing our experiences, we risk limiting our understanding of the world. Okinawa, however, offers a different path. Its rich cultural heritage, shaped by the fusion of diverse influences, is a living testament to the power of embracing multiple perspectives.
Yambaru's landscapes, both tangible and intangible, are repositories of history and memory. The mountains, rivers, plants, and human stories intertwine, creating a tapestry of time and space.
This grand sense of beauty, rooted in a deep connection to nature, holds the potential to inspire and resonate on a global scale.
"Dance With Me / Water Mirror" is a visual representation of this interconnectedness. Layers of flowing water, mirroring the ever-changing world, symbolize the interplay of light and water in Yambaru. The artwork evokes gratitude for this heritage and the responsibility to pass it on to future generations. It is a dance of tangible and intangible elements, a harmonious celebration of life and nature.
Art Collective YouRuMaru's work "Dance with me / Water Mirror ~A Heritage of Water and Light~" is being exhibited as part of the Yambaru Art Festival and will will be exhibited in the hotel lobby atrium from Saturday, December 14, 2024 until Monday, February 24, 2025.
Art Concept
Yambaru, Okinawa's northern sanctuary, is a realm bathed in sunlight and nourished by abundant water. Its pristine nature and vibrant ecosystem offer a testament to the enduring power of these fundamental elements.
Yet, as we often take these life-sustaining forces for granted, our spiritual connection to the natural world wavers.
The Omoro Soushi, Okinawa's traditional folk songs,contains many references to water, as well as references to former kings of Ryukyu being likened to the sun. Throughout Okinawa the many sacred shrines and places of worship highlight the deep-rooted significance of water and light in Okinawan culture.
Yambaru's inhabitants possess a unique spatial awareness, encompassing both the ocean and the mountains. Their rituals honoring nature blend seamlessly with daily life, as exemplified by the centuries-old Ugan festival in Shinugu in the Ada area where both the mountain god and the ocean god are worshipped.
This holistic perspective, rooted in traditional Japanese thought and seeming to be especially prevalent in Yambaru, fosters a free-spirited consciousness that embraces both the individual and the interconnectedness of all things.
In our age of AI-driven personalization, it's easy to lose sight of this broader perspective. By compartmentalizing our experiences, we risk limiting our understanding of the world. Okinawa, however, offers a different path. Its rich cultural heritage, shaped by the fusion of diverse influences, is a living testament to the power of embracing multiple perspectives.
Yambaru's landscapes, both tangible and intangible, are repositories of history and memory. The mountains, rivers, plants, and human stories intertwine, creating a tapestry of time and space.
This grand sense of beauty, rooted in a deep connection to nature, holds the potential to inspire and resonate on a global scale.
"Dance With Me / Water Mirror" is a visual representation of this interconnectedness. Layers of flowing water, mirroring the ever-changing world, symbolize the interplay of light and water in Yambaru. The artwork evokes gratitude for this heritage and the responsibility to pass it on to future generations. It is a dance of tangible and intangible elements, a harmonious celebration of life and nature.
Artist Profile
YouRuMaru
Suguru Funaki and Rie Sumi Art Collective
The artistry is based on the expression of the concepts “connecting”, “flowing”, and “relaxing”. The artists integrate various methods from different fields creating three-dimensional works incorporating Japanese traditions and techniques. They create works of art that evoke meditation with a sense of relaxation for the mind and body. Their works of art have created spatial lighting in traditional buildings such as commercial facilities, hotels, and castles across the country. They also sell lighting in department stores and sponsor origami workshops creating experiential art opportunities for both adults and children. They have also participated in exhibitions in both London and Paris where they have received favorable reviews.
YouRuMaru
Suguru Funaki and Rie Sumi Art Collective
The artistry is based on the expression of the concepts “connecting”, “flowing”, and “relaxing”. The artists integrate various methods from different fields creating three-dimensional works incorporating Japanese traditions and techniques. They create works of art that evoke meditation with a sense of relaxation for the mind and body. Their works of art have created spatial lighting in traditional buildings such as commercial facilities, hotels, and castles across the country. They also sell lighting in department stores and sponsor origami workshops creating experiential art opportunities for both adults and children. They have also participated in exhibitions in both London and Paris where they have received favorable reviews.
Yambaru Ogomi Uo (Fish Made From Trash)
Yambaru Fish Made from Trash
Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa has been a passionate supporter of the Yambaru Art Festival for the past six years. We have collaborated with YAF on projects and continue to showcase art objects at our hotel.
Concept of the Art Object
The artist, Yodogawa Technique, used garbage and drift objects,
He creates objects that cannot be imagined from the original appearance of the garbage,
The appearance of the Yambaru Large Fish is created from the garbage washed up this year
And so this year's work of art is different than last year's.
A large fish born from floating garbage that washed up on the beaches of Yambaru.
It is lit up at night!
Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa has been a passionate supporter of the Yambaru Art Festival for the past six years. We have collaborated with YAF on projects and continue to showcase art objects at our hotel.
Concept of the Art Object
The artist, Yodogawa Technique, used garbage and drift objects,
He creates objects that cannot be imagined from the original appearance of the garbage,
The appearance of the Yambaru Large Fish is created from the garbage washed up this year
And so this year's work of art is different than last year's.
A large fish born from floating garbage that washed up on the beaches of Yambaru.
It is lit up at night!
Artist Profile
Yodogawa Technique
Hideaki Shibata was born in Okayama Prefecture in 1976. His specialty is using garbage and drift objects to create sculptures that cannot be imagined just from looking at the appearance of the garbage itself. He enjoys interacting with local people where he gathers the garbage and likes to create his work in the same place. He is well-known for his permanent exhibitions Uno's Chinu and Uno's Child Chinu at Uno Port in Okayama Prefecture.
Yodogawa Technique
Hideaki Shibata was born in Okayama Prefecture in 1976. His specialty is using garbage and drift objects to create sculptures that cannot be imagined just from looking at the appearance of the garbage itself. He enjoys interacting with local people where he gathers the garbage and likes to create his work in the same place. He is well-known for his permanent exhibitions Uno's Chinu and Uno's Child Chinu at Uno Port in Okayama Prefecture.