Follow-Up

Greetings all. It looks as though we will not be broadcasting our interview with Mariyo live as we had hoped. Still we were lucky enough to get an interview none the less, and hope to be able to play at least a portion of it for you at some point during the month of April.

In the meantime, you can follow the following link to learn more about the outcome of Mariyo’s community project which took place this past Thursday at Prospect Hill Community Center in Waltha, MA.

http://www.dailynewstribune.com/homepage/x1550417164

If you know of any outstanding local artists (all disciplines are welcome) in the area, please post a link with a little bit about the artist. We look forward to hearing

Hello world!

Welcome again to “a world to explore…” a blog of diverse places, people and expression. To find out more about our intent, please click on the “About” tab. The hope is to bring you as many interesting and dynamic individuals working, in particular, through the arts or investigating the arts towards some kind of community enrichment.

Our first one of many, Dr. Mariyo Yagi is a Japanese artist whose work centers around Nawa (rope). The significance of Nawa is implicit both in its name and structure,

“In ancient Japanese language, and still in contemporary usage in the Tugaru region of Japan, NA means “you” and WA means “I”. The spiral structure of NAWA (Rope) has been documented in the microcosm and macrocosm of Life and Nature, from the double-helix spiral of DNA to the spiral structure of galaxies in the Cosmos.” (nawaology)

Mariyo’s work address these ideas of oneness and connectivity, both through the “individual” (strands) and the collective (the one rope whose existence is reliant upon each individual line). Her philosophy, is one of a shared responsibility of humanity. The idea that we all exist as one and as such have a responsibility to ourselves, each other, our communities and world. Still with the same careful balance and grace expressed in her artwork, Mariyo does not in acknowledging our collective being, deny the individual, instead viewing individual expression as integral and enhancing to the whole,

” Inspiring local unique individuality and identity creates global unity with local people. It is the same as a human body or an organic substance each consisting of cells. When we look at the Earth globally as a member in the Universe, whole human beings as members on the Earth form the link organically, we can come to receive the deep spirit of humankind that used to exist in nature with their all senses and spirits. ” (philosophy)

It has been presented by some spiritualists, that human existence is really the expression of an omnipotent being’s desire to experience itself. All our actions and frustrations, they argue, are born out of a need and effort towards reconnection/reunification with this being(us). If this is the case, Nawa becomes an excellent icon for a shared striving for the very unity it represents; humanities own “transitional object” and in and of itself representative of the transition. Mariyo’s many community projects such as her 1995 work in Kobe Japan (in response to the disruption and trauma caused by the Great Hanshin Earthquake) allow the process and production of art to act as Nawa and through these many spiraling and interlinking ways facilitate community and healing.

Mariyo Yagi’s list of accomplishments is extensive and inspiring, her art work even more so. Ranging from drawings to large metal sculptures in public spaces, her work, even in images on the web is captivating.

For more information on Mariyo and for images of her work please visit- http://www.mariyoyagi.net/indexeng.html

Add your own thoughts or questions for Mariyo. And remember to tune into WBRS 100.1 FM to hear the discussion. (date and time to follow)

Please check back for more information on Mariyo’s community project right here in Waltham!