Ayae Takahashi
Fusuma-e: From Sleeping Beauty, 1999, graphite, lithography crayon, and ink on paper mounted on canvas, 5' x 8', Private Collection, Photo Credit: David Ettinger
What I remember about fairy tales are not the endings. Moments of confrontations between morality and desires were what fascinated me the most—absurdity, violence, and sexuality filled up between the lines and I was mesmerized. I imagined myself as both heroines and anti-heroines and found it was impossible to give a single conclusion to the narrative, without disclaiming the complexity of how I felt.
The title of this series Fusuma-e refers to a traditional format of Japanese sliding screens. The screens are meant to be temporary; they are ephemeral walls and entrances. They appear and disappear like ghosts, like fairies. I find the unfixed nature of these screens analogous to how I perceive myself culturally. All of these meanings are condensed into images that are silent and still. I prefer conclusions perpetually postponed; the moment trapped, continuously returning.
