On A Warm Glow to Remember
by Sharifah Emalia Al-Gadrie
One of the first images that drew me to Yumemi’s work was a still from a performance piece. The photograph captures a mid-point in the performance where Yumemi’s entire body is obscured by obi (the decorative belt which is worn with a kimono), which have been haphazardly wrapped around her limbs, torso and head. The bright and sumptuous patterns and colours of the obi are captivating, especially juxtaposed against the background of exposed red brick; and the stiffness of the fabric, sticking out at various angles and trailing along the ground, make Yumemi look like a static sculptural piece. It is at once visually arresting while expressing a conceptual theme that is incredibly difficult to articulate: how sustaining cultural connection and practice can be simultaneously nourishing and burdensome. To me, this is one of the huge strengths of Yumemi’s practice - she creates work that is not just aesthetically beautiful, it also explores nuanced and complex concepts.
Yumemi’s practice is multidisciplinary and multi-faceted, incorporating mediums including glass, textile, performance, video and ceramics. Her use of tactile and reactive materials add a depth to the work that she creates as the processes of working with these materials often reflects or enriches the conceptual basis of the work. Regardless of the medium, there is often an element in each work which references Yumemi’s Japanese cultural heritage. For many artists of the diaspora or from migrant/refugee background, there is often tension when reflecting on culture and cultural practice - firstly, as a result of being geographically disconnected and secondly, because there is often an expectation that their arts practice will be focussed on or (at the very least) be influenced by their culture. With the positive steps towards diversifying the inclusion of artists in mainstream galleries and arts festivals, there is also social capital that can be gained by being a “culturally diverse” artist whose work is concerned with culture. The majority of Yumemi’s practice sidesteps this potential issue elegantly. Like a number of other artists such as Rainbow Chan, Omar bin Musa, Phuong Ngo and Echo Morgan (to name a few), elements which reference culture are prominent in Yumemi’s work not because it is expected by others, but because it is inherent to one of the key themes of her practice: unpacking the subjectivity of cultural connection.
Yumemi’s practice circles around memory, history and culture. Her approach to these themes is from the personal perspective, using her own experiences as a lens to interrogate how individual connections and continuation of culture can manifest. Initially, this was an exploration which delved into the guilt and the discomfort of continuing cultural practice or claiming cultural identity when geographic dislocation and cultural clashes are at play. Having moved away from Japan in her early teens, Yumemi felt tension in owning her Japanese identity as an international citizen and not fitting the stereotype or expectations of true “Japanese-ness”. This became a central focus in her practice and she created work which sought to make sense of residing in this cultural gap through incorporating memory and recollection. While this was an extremely personal approach, the thematic premise of these works have a universality - anyone who has felt the sting of not being enough would readily connect. Yumemi’s practice is evolving towards an approach that has more universal experiences and with each iteration of her work, she solidifies those core questions which drive her practice.
A Warm Glow to Remember is a body of work currently in its third iteration. Glass sculptures accompanied by video works occupy the gallery and the remnants of Yumemi’s performance (the image of which I described above) create a final sculptural piece in the centre of the room. All of the sculptural pieces are both strong and soft - the fluid, malleable appearance of the hardened glass, the structural stiffness of the obi fabric cascading over the floor. The contradictory natures of the materials capture the complexity of mediating cultural heritage and personal identity. In this body of work, the process of creating the pieces is key to understanding the depth of this piece. Yumemi described it like this:
“In Japanese culture an obi is really significant - it is passed down from female to female in families. They are heirlooms. I wanted to imprint a piece of obi into hot glass and was told that the silk would burn and disappear but I tried it anyway. When I placed the obi silk on the glass, it caught fire straight away but once the flame went, the impression of the silk was still there. You could still see the fibres and the pattern. It had created bubbles and ash. It hadn’t burnt and disappeared - it had changed form to something equally beautiful and interesting. Seeing this process was a revelation for me.”
In this first iterations of this work, the glass sculptures were solid - heavy items which reflected the weight of the process for Yumemi. Fragments of charred obi are suspended between glass, the transformed fabric remnant pressed between two solid sides. This is a relatable experience for many residing in a cultural gap - the strong pull and pressure coming from different directions, even at the moment when you have found beauty and comfort in living in between. A few of these pieces remain in the current iteration but there is now the addition of blown glass sculptures which interact with light and shadow, the fabric remnants and bubbles dancing throughout the structure. These sculptures evidence a shift for Yumemi’s relationship to authentic cultural practice and connection that has emerged after revisiting this body of work after time away from it. The blown sculptures have a levity that the solid glass pieces do not, allowing audiences an opportunity to glimpse the very intimate personal journey Yumemi has gone on. The airiness and light which the newer sculptures have express the peace that the artist has come to feel about residing within a cultural gap and pulling from different cultures to construct her personal identity. This ease sits at odds with the unaltered performance piece which has been retained as part of this exhibit. Perhaps one of the things that most resonates for me, is that the performance element of this work has been retained as the original.
In the performance which accompanies this work, Yumemi ties obi around her, starting at her feet. Her movements are almost fevered, grasping at the obi with fast moving hands and wrapping these around herself with determination, pulling each knot tight. There is a desperation to her movements which speak of loss and the fear that more might be lost with each moment that passes. Through the act of wrapping and tying the obi, a significant cultural symbol and family heirloom, around herself, Yumemi encapsulates herself in memories and family and anchors herself with her cultural heritage. As the heavy fabric layers accumulate, the energy shifts. You can hear the fabric and the artist both straining; Yumemi’s breathing becomes laboured and her movements fumbled. The last obi is almost out of reach on the floor and adding it to her body is uncomfortable to watch. She stands still momentarily, heaving, before stripping the fabric from her body. This direct metaphor for the duality of continuing cultural practice and connection as someone somehow disconnected or removed from that culture is overwhelmingly powerful. The intertwining layers of culture and responsibility can be simultaneously comforting and debilitating and the fear of losing connection to culture is ever-present. The retention of this performance for the latest exhibit of A Warm Glow to Remember alongside pieces which are more peaceful rings true to me. For many, particularly those from migrant or refugee background or of the diaspora, individual relationships to cultural identity and heritage are fluid and complex, often both nourishing and a heavy responsibility. The continuation of cultural practice can sometimes be at odds with the individual and it is through recognising the beauty of a new form which sits in between, one can progress.
Yumemi’s practice is powerful because she makes herself vulnerable. Through delving into themes from a personal perspective to interrogate her own relationship with her cultural heritage, she contributes to wider conversations about identity and belonging. Her work is invariably interesting and nuanced, skilfully articulating complex concepts in visually beautiful forms. A Warm Glow to Remember is probably my favourite of Yumemi’s work but her practice is ever evolving and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
- Sharifah Emalia Al-Gadrie
Her creative practice is responsive and explores belonging and cultural heritage in contemporary Australia. She draws on personal experience and understanding of diasporic identity and cultural dislocation to engage with broader conversations on the same.
Her curatorial practice is primarily concerned with addressing gender and cultural diversity imbalances in the arts sector.
Emalia's work is both research and process driven and is based in mediums including painting, textiles, installation and photography.
https://www.sharifahemaliaal-gadrie.com
@mak.h.er