Artist in Residence: Masae Watanabe (JP)
In March 2015 Japanese artist Masae Watanabe came to work with the LFTT Library at The Guesthouse in Cork. Masae previously studied Artistic Anatomy at The Tokyo University of The Arts, finishing her laboratory work in 2009 she currently works as their education research assistant. In her research she examines life forms at a molecular level, observing physical and psychological patterns that suggest previously unknown connections between man and animal, creature and plantlife.
During her residency Masae’s work took a visual anatomical approach to the psychology behind stories from celtic mythology, in particular the subject of the ‘Merrow’ or mermaid in W.B Yeats ‘Irish Fairy Stories’. Fusing symbolic form extracted from the story in the manner of a ‘Rorschach’ inkblot with a diagrammatic narrative style of layered transparencies; extracted keywords and elements are superimposed in space, producing the effect of a miniature stage or operating theatre of the mind.
Picture above show’s W.B Yeats ‘Irish Fairy Tales’ found in the library. Masae arrived with a japanese translation. Below is a detail shot from one of her exhbition pieces ‘The Merrow’ (2015). Images courtesy Helio Léon.
THE LFTT LIBRARY 