Close Your Hands, Open Your Hands by Tomoko Ishida

As part of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival the exhibition 'Close Your Hands, Open Your Hands' is on view at the Sharjah Art Museum.

Tomoko Ishida / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture has organized the 21st edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival (SIAF).

The exhibition officially opened at the Sharjah Art Museum in the presence of Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah; Mohammed Al Qaseer, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Farah Qassim Mohammed, Islamic Arts Festival Executive and the respected guests.

Tomoko Ishida presents her work at the opening / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

The installation 'Close Your Hands, Open Your Hands' by Tomoko Ishida (1958) restores warm memories of Japanese children's elementary dance to the rhythms of a nursing song which unknown songwriter wrote after the World War II, titled 'Musun-de-Hiraite'.

Ishida says, "I can imagine that somebody eagerly desired the recovery of Japanese lands and minds, looking blankly at burnt-out ruins. The songwriter must have known that people could be encouraged by traditional gesture and thinking ways."

With this installation, Ishida tried to convey her memories and common Japanese memories. She explains: "When I touch, hold, release, put again, and watch the paper in front of me, I realize that for making this simple movement, my fingers, palm, back of my hands, and arm will move in quite complicated ways. I can feel some energy going out an coming back into myself smoothly. This reminds me of a nursery song 'Musun-de-Hiraite'. Though 'Musubu' (to tie up) and Hiraku (to untie) have opposite meanings, in Japan, we can accept both as 'Ryoukou' (dual-standard) from Zen's way of thinking. We Japanese made many conflicting proverbs since the old days, for example, "strike while the iron is hot", and "more haste, less speed". "

World War II has an impact on Ishida's work. She has participated in various festivals and forums and has received numerous artistic awards.