Visitors who knows about the important

I was hesitating and struggling at the gallery, being nervous about up coming opening days. This March, I completed a big project. It was nearly too huge to keep my sense of being an artist, and what is meant to be having artwork in the public (meaning put art out in the world to be seen, be participated etc). 

So this project was a new beginning of my journey and to find out my own relationship to art, at the youkobo gallery which intends to let artists to experiment. I invited other three artists to share questions, thoughts and actions in each way.

but I was still hesitating to take an action, because I was feeling pressure and hasting to reach the final and resulted answer, about HOW TO DISPLAY or INSTALL or PRESENT artwork in the gallery context. I must had known (and I repeated in my head hundreds times) that Youkobo meaning You=Play (in japanese) , you and workshop. So you are allowed to play. what does it mean by play, though?

My very old and lovely friends visited Youkobo on Thursday night. We used to study at VCA (Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne) in mid 2000s. I asked them for help, what will you do if you were me. I know it is immature to ask, but. 

She looked very much taking the situation serious (she was and is still present same expression when she hears my problems.. she put all her concentration into her eyes. very beautiful), "Utako, often people go through depression after competing big job. Even, Virginia Wolf does. So that is natural to question. About play, well, when children plays, they do have a vision what they want to achieve, not purposeless, in fact. say, building large construction with LEGO or gorgeous tower. what is your purpose?"

I replies... "that is the issue. I have nearly lost the purpose of doing art against art world. I love to recover or reinvent it."

He clarifies, "The theme is everyday. So the process is the key word, isn't it? You process things. You show it. that is it."

She continues, "Utako, you can trust and just follow your guts feeling!".

How simple and correct their suggestions were, but they indeed clicked something in my head and soul.

It was such a gift that they visited me on this timing. First time in 5 years that we gathered together.

Later I took them out to Kichijouji, a nearest large town of Youkobo, and had a nice meal and drink at , so called, Harmonica Street. It was happy and sad, as I knew that I wont' see them together again on the next day. We are no longer students who go to same college everyday. But I felt too that we will stay same tomorrow. She will research and investigate methods for making things in Singapore, and for herself and for others, including her family and students, to share what you can do with art. He will keep searching for his own aesthetic as a Japanese who but has lived outside of Japan for long time.

Moreover, I will love them everyday.