昔々

昔々 (2017)

昔々 (lit. ‘mukashi mukashi’) (2017) was an interactive performance project that was performed in Japan at Shiro Oni Studio. The work is part of the project Once Upon A Time that investigates the influence of interpersonal relationships on identity.

Every year, artists stay at Shiro Oni Studio and the surrounding town of Onishi to make art inspired by the location. I wanted to express qualities unique to Onishi by exploring the ways that interpersonal relationships shape identity. As such, I conducted one-on-one interviews with townspeople and fellow artists while dressed in costumes that changed for each participant. Each interview was a private conversation and was conducted in a traditional tatami room inside a townhouse owned by the studio. These sessions were commemorated with photographs that created the photographic series.

The project’s name refers to the Japanese phrase that begins folktales. It is often translated into English as ‘once upon a time’.