I have never seen a god or a Buddha. And yet, when we encounter something beyond our understanding, or are struck by something so profoundly moving that thought itself seems to stop, we cannot help but feel that perhaps there is something beyond the reach of human knowledge.
Santa Claus and his reindeer, symbols of Christmas in Japan. And the lions and komainu—guardian figures deeply familiar to the Japanese and a subject with which I have become somewhat obsessed in my exhibitions.
What happens when you bring them together?
Koma Santa & Koma Reindeer.
At this point, I am no longer entirely sure what they are supposed to be. Nevertheless, I pleaded with a group of ceramic artists who possess—at least in my opinion—an exceptionally sharp sense of form and design, as well as outstanding technical skill, and somehow managed to turn the idea into reality.
There is that inexplicable sense of anticipation we have associated with Christmas since childhood, together with the particular feeling of the winter air.
Koma Santa & Koma Reindeer take all of that and push it to its absolute peak.
This winter, in Asakusa, you will encounter God.
Perhaps.
