Ma: Spaces Between Here and There

Overview

The world ‘ma’ is a Japanese word meaning ‘interval’ in a spatial or temporal sense, which is not usually used on its own. When it is, it retains the implication that the space it refers to is between two (or more) things, its existence is dependent on the other objects. Yuria Okamura’s delicate artworks depict the spiritual realm of a physical space, the dimension that we detect with our intuition and imagination rather than our eyes and hands.

The works are made with the use of diluted acrylic and ink in washed out, almost shadowy colours. The shapes Okamura draws bear a resemblance to architectural models of buildings made of fine paper, stretched out over the canvas. Upon reflection, one realises that as models, the shapes are geometrically incongruent, an inherently impossible space. The shapes seem to be suspended in mid-air, which creates a quietening effect as the mind traverses the ins and outs of them. Okamura draws inspiration from Japanese Zen gardens, which depict nature in an abstract manner using simple rocks. The gentle staining technique she uses creates a sense of stillness that emanate from these ‘gardens,’ with ghostly animals included to personify the spiritual presence.

The interpretation of the work depends on the viewer’s physical proximity to it, their own location in space. Up close, the works are merely two-dimensional, highly detailed patterns and figures; as one moves further away they slowly take shape into something more tangible, the patterns themselves creating illusions. Through the exploration of the perception of space and the combination of naturalistic and abstract elements, Okamura attempts to communicate the oneness of the physical and metaphysical world. She believes we exist in the duality of the worlds, the space in between.

Based in Melbourne, Yuria Okamura is a Japanese artist. Her first solo show is ‘Ma: Spaces between here and there,’ which is currently being exhibited at The Japan Foundation as part of the ‘facetnate!’ series, a support program for emerging artists.