My name is… – Asako Shiroki

"My name is..." MMCA Residency Changdong Report

2023
Group Exhibition

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary, MMCA Residency Changdong, Seoul, South Korea

Evergreen

2023
Glass, essential oil, silver
Variable size

“Evergreen” is rooted in the memories of my family members, representing an anonymous figure in the historical context of someone who resiliently survived in both Korea and Japan after the war. Using the pine tree as a metaphor, symbolising the Korean people, I present three distinct works. The first is a distill and blend of essential oils extracted from Korean and Japanese pine trees, poured into a glass bottle, with the quantity of oil symbolizing the weight of the soul at 21 grams. The fragrance, which has become a non-visual entity through distillation, gently permeates the exhibition space. Additionally, the silver chain suspending the glass bottle is likened to a coastline, symbolising the border between Japan and South Korea. The second work comprises two photographic pieces that feature a mixture of Japanese and Korean pines. Captured intentionally without focusing, the colors stand out as if the differences were mixed together. These works depict the process of a Korean family living in Japan assimilating into Japanese society, mirroring the assimilation of people born in Japan into Korean society. The third work, through distillation, merges diverse elements, allowing disparate events to converge. This transformation of substance from gas to liquid, and then to scent, encapsulates the essence of “sculpture,” transcending visual forms to convey deeper meanings.