Jyvaskyla diary
14th～26th June 2010, I stayed at Jyvaskyla, Finland, print studio for our exhibition.
13th June sunday
Cloudy, and a bit cold weather. The printing studio, gallery Harmonia were here just in front of the Jyuvaskyla station. I think it looks elegant. I finally came here all the way from Tokyo. Actually I have come here 3 years ago.
Last midnight, when I was looking for my hotel at the midnight in Helsinki, I completely lost of my way. I asked a hundred of Finland people about my way. Every person kindly taught me how to go. I think Finland people's character looks like Japanese. They were mostly modest a little.
14th June monday
Gallery is empty yet. I started to set some my works. I try to make a dramatic space in this gallery. I already showed this kind of my works last year. But this time, I try to make more stronger one than it. I don't mind if it will be confused, or too crowded. I want to express like a chaos of myself. If it might be just a self- satisfaction.
15th June tuesday
I think the most exciting time is preparing own exhibition for artist. I really think so. I am working to make this installation all day long. Of course I was not tired of it. This installation are made from 20 etchings, 20 box-arts and 20 life-sized styreneboards. I tried to make a few composition for thier good harmony. It is comfortable for me.
16th June wednesday
Yeaterday I almost prepared my installation. I think did my best anyway.
Today we have to make sushi, Oinari, Hutomaki etc for the opening party.
The press of the local newspaper came to intaview to us around the noon. I could talk a lot about my works, bacause I could expect her question. Maybe we could see our article in the local newspaper a few days later.
oening party started at 6 pm. At first, Jukka talked about our show to the visitors, then introdused us. H-san gave a short speech and then I followed her. I have been looking forward to have this speech. I could not speak fluently, but I think I barely did it.
17th June thursday
3 years ago, I have been here for just a week. It was fine weather at that time, and first visiting. Summer Finnish landscape was really fantastic. Blue sky, green woods, and shinning lakes. I was impressed them. But this 2nd visiting, it was cloudy, small shawer and cold. I walked around beside a lake as same as the last time. I felt lonely because just only few people were there. I could never seen swimming people at all.
If 1st visiting is so good, we might be not so excited at the 2nd visiting. I remembered about 2nd visiting to Gent. About 15 years ago, I visited to see Fan Eyck's painting in Gent, Belgie. At that time, I was fascinated with his altar painting. I couln't move in front of it for 2 hours. But I visited there again 3 years ago, I could not feel any emotion in it. So how do I feel in the 3rd visiting?
But a few days later, finally Finnish summer has come. It was so nice as 3 years before. What a lovely scene it is! I can't express that enough. I was really enough to see the lake, woods, coulds, and blue sky.
18th June friday
Today we had a kind of meeting event, called ‘teehetkeen'. We discussed about our exhibition with a cup of tea. A few visitors joined us. It was hard for me because I had to explain about my work by poor english. Although it was also hard for me to explain it by Japanese.
Nowadays artist were required to explain their own work's concept. Maybe every artist was not so good at talking about it because they were not critic, of course me neither. But I really think I had to do well. I should do so. And I need to practice that sometimes.
At the beginning, Jukka started to ask us about that, ‘What do you want to express? Is there any Japanese ideology in your work?' and something like that. I was nervous a bit, and hesitated many times what I should say. But I have desided that I shouldn't say just, ‘I don't know.'
19th July saturday
I went to the moomin museum in Tampere city. It took half and a hour by train from Jyvaskyla. It was a part of the city library building.
Do you know moomin is kind of like a spirit in the woods? Maybe he is not an animal. My friend loved their story so much. Is it very populer for the girl like a miffy? But actualy I was not so interested in it until today....
But almost of the illustration were not large. They were drawn by many fine lines and detail drawing like a etching.
I bought some sourvenirs at museum shop.
20th July sunday
Ishiyama-san invited us to his home party. Jukka, Anke, other ( left picture) all together enjoyed and drunk sooo much in his house. I didn't talking much with Jukka one to one until today, so at first I was a bit nurvous. But we could talk naturaly and frienly. We talked about...for example, we had a stupid habit when we consentrated to something. And,..we shouted some rude joke, and so on. We all laugh hard. It was completely fun.
In the midnight, H-san and I walked around the lane in the huge wood on the way to home. It was around 12am, but sky was still vague light. I felt refreshed.
21st July monday
Anke kindly took us to the art festival in Mantan city by car, with her daughter, I-san and I. On the way to the museum, we dropped by famous old wooden cherch. It was bult beside a very quiet lake. ( left picture) It was really beatiful the reflection on the surface of the lake.
About a hour later, we arrived at the museum. I was interested in almost of the arts in it. This museum was also just beside a huge lake. It had a very nice grass backyard. I leied down on the grass for a while.
22nd July tuesday
I-san and I visited Evalisa's house. We took bus for a hour, then she picked us up from the final bus station to her house. Her house was almost top of the hill which we cloud look down at the beautiful lake. Her house was exactly elementary school. And she lived there with two horses!
I thought it was one of the utopia. She was artist. She made many sculptures ever, but now make leather production, bags, harmess, etc. And recently she make also etching in Harmonia.
After the lunch, we rode a carriage. We were carried on it by her horse to the lake. It was unbelievable experience
One day I went to sauna. It was on the small island in the huge lake. We went there by small boat. A young boy rowed the boat, then it took about 10 minutes to cross there. That sauna is really cozy, and just the lake-side. The other day, I went to the other sauna. There was a different kind of sauna, called smoke sauna, at there. Many finnish people enjoyed it and swimming in the lake. After that we grilled the big sausages and drunk beers with a lot of chatting. I liked that easy atmosphere. It was so much comfortable and relax.
Sauna was most favorite experience in Jyvaskyla. I love sauna!
24th July thursday
I had to leave Jyvaskyla today. Ishiyama-san handed me his daghter's message. When I saw it, I was almost crying as same as before. Actually I have come here 3 years ago. At that time, Sakurako gave me a heart shaped message.( above left 2 pictures) When I saw it at the air port, I cloudn't stand crying. At this time, she gave me another big one.( above right picture) I am really ..glad. They were my treasure for ever.
25th July friday
"Juhannus" is famous traditional event in Finland. It is a festival of the summer solstice. It looks like Obon in Japan. Almost city-worker go back their country home at this season, and spend a day easy with drinking and sometime dancing beside the lake.
I expected it, but it was rain today.
I went to Seurasari island which festival was held in Helsinki. A lot of tourists were there to see that event. Last show was big fire called Kokko in the midnight.
26th Jury saturday
I went to Tallin from Helshinki by ship. It took about half and a hour, we could arrive another country, Estonia.
Tallinn was a bit primitive, I thought. There were many beautiful young women who had a good figure. I took a break in the restaurant with beer. We could see a lot of name of the beer, Saku, in the square.
28th Jury monday
I moved to the Netherlands yesterday.
I stayed Utrecht for a year 3 years ago. So until today if I came here again I expected to have a holly melancholic feeling. But I didn't have that kind of sense. I was just back here, that's all. Dom tower, miffy museum, apartment which I used, Hema, central station......all of my memories didn't change anything.
I visited Toyin's gallery in Den Haag. He treated some my woorks in his gallery. Then we moved to his house which was near famous beach ‘Scheveningen'. We wached the world cup soccer game, the Netherlands vs Slovenia on tv. Right after the game, some fireworks sounded in the distance.
29th July tuesday
World cup soccer was held a few weeks before. In these days, final tournament began. The Netherlands team was still fighting.
It was excited for me to watch it everyday. Today I went to Rembrandt Huis. After that I went into the bar because Japanese team was just playing on TV at there. Only few visitor were watching TV. I ordered a beer, then took a seat. It was really nice game, but it was regrettable that Japanese team lost it. I spent for 2 hours on the same seat with only one beer.
Anyway Dutch people were a little crazy on the soccer game. Every bar near downtown were decotated by a lot of orenge colour flags, t-shirts, towels,etc. While Dutch team is playing on TV, people cheered by loudly voices and shouted with beer. It is like a earthquake. Sometimes I feel scary.
30th July wednesday
I visited CBKU(GAU). I spent here almost of the time as an artist in residence 3 yaers ago.
CBKU changed so much. It has been under construction from then I left here, and it has been closed for about 2 years. This year it was renewal opened. 1st floor extremely changed to wide exhibit space. Although all lithogragh equipmemts gone.
2nd floor was not so changed. I met meny Dutch friends, said long time no see. Dodog, Petra, Lijia, Ineke, Cisca, Monique.... Monique took her sun. I remembered that when I left here, she just got pregnant. And Petra got pregnant now. I heard that baby's father was Gergo. What a surprise!! Congratulation Petra!
Dodog kindly invited me to his house. From the evening, we enjoyed Indonesian food which Dodog cocked. It was nothing changed as 3 years before. By the way I met Tamaal who changed to be slim.