Orion Stars
Hiroko Kubo
Media: stainless steel, iron, wire mesh, Jesmonite®, and tiles
The three statues, sitting firmly atop a small hill, represent the calm inland sea, warm climate, and lush green landscape of the Setouchi region. The sculptures are modeled after seabirds that fly freely between the three realms of sea, sky, and land. The colored ceramic tiles covering the sculptures were carefully clad by hand, one by one.
In ancient times, people used the three stars of Orion as a guide for navigation. The title, Orion Stars, conveys the hope that the trio will serve as an enduring guide for this land, much like the stars that have shone since time immemorial, and that they will become a source of fond memories in people’s everyday lives.
アートのひみつ！
These three birds gazing out at the world past the familiar sea have something to do with a constellation in the night sky, as well as with the myths and ruins born in a distant past.
アーティスト紹介
Hiroko Kubo
Kubo was born in Hiroshima in 1987 and is based in Chiba.
She earned a Master of Fine Arts at Texas Christian University.
Kubo creates her works based on prehistoric art—such as paintings and sculptures made by people of the far past—as well as folk art found in countries and regions around the world, and the academic study of human life and culture (cultural anthropology).
She uses materials such as wire mesh, agricultural tarps, and windbreak nets, which are industrial products typically employed in construction or farming. She creates sculptures from materials not usually associated with art.
She creates works on the themes of the terrifying power of nature, such as typhoons and earthquakes; the stories conveyed by broken objects; and the figures of women, who have often been overlooked.
She also explores the beauty found in statues born of myths and prayers, as well as in the common tools used in people’s everyday lives.
Through her work, Kubo gently invites us to reexamine old things that have been passed down through the ages from the perspective of the present day.
She also has run Alternative Space Core, a multipurpose space for cultural activities in Hiroshima City, since 2017.
Kubo’s representative work
"Gentle Hand"
Chishima Foundation for Creative Osaka
制作風景
Photos show the studio where Kubo created Orion Stars, near a beach in Chiba Prefecture.
