Momoko Fujii
Born and raised in the Hanase region of Kyoto, a mountain village surrounded by beautiful nature, author Momoko Fujii has felt a close connection to Japanese customs and coexistence with nature since she was a child.
Fujii’s work integrates the entire process from the production of raw materials to the creation of shimenawa (sacred rope) dedicated to Shinto rituals. She also creates rice straw craft works using the shimenawa technique.
The “Asahimochi” rice straw used in the work is a rare and historic variety rooted in the Iwakura region of Kyoto, and is also used in the great shimenawa of Izumo Grand Shrine in Shimane Prefecture. Fujii grows rice in Hanase to raise beautiful straw, having acquired the rare variety, usually not available for sale, from an elderly person in Iwakura with whom she had a connection. The rice straw used in her work is dried in the sun after harvesting, and the straw is removed by hand and carefully sorted stalk by stalk by the artist herself. Her sincere attitude toward nature is reflected in her works.
Created with the hope that viewers will be inspired to feel happiness, the work conveys a sense of sacredness and, as the title suggests, warmth.
While continuing the traditional techniques of straw work, the new forms created by Fujii open up new possibilities for rice straw expression.
