A Review by Saito Tsutomu
Originally published in Japanese on note.com
Ishimatsu Yufu’s work “A Vessel Filling a Cup, Breathing Within” was presented on the landing of the museum staircase at Saga University’s graduation exhibition. I viewed the work both in the morning and at noon. In the morning, it particularly glowed, illuminated by the sunlight.
The Work
Large Shina plywood serves as the support, with Japanese paper affixed to it. Plant and flower motifs are painted on both the base and the Japanese paper, seemingly playing freely on the surface and beneath it.
The Shina plywood used as the support has distortions, with the lower left portion curving forward. Wooden panels are usually fixed firmly to wooden frames to prevent warping, but this wooden frame is T-shaped, and the protruding wooden frame at the upper right seems to indicate a direction, as if continuing somewhere. The distortion in the lower left then appears to invite the viewer, which I interpret as the artist’s intention. Thus, a dialogue with the work begins.
The work presented on the staircase landing appears to sway like being rocked in a boat as one climbs the stairs step by step. The cup of water is perhaps for arranging the plant and flower subjects. The work placed within spatial continuity demonstrated a refined spatial beauty on the museum’s staircase landing.
Spatial Context and Harmonizing with Japanese Aesthetic Space
Here, the choice of the landing as the exhibition space is particularly noteworthy. A landing is an intermediate space connecting upper and lower floors, a temporary point of pause in the midst of movement. This “intermediacy” resonates with the relationship between support and expression that the work presents. The delicate balance of neither concealing the Shina plywood support nor treating it as mere material mirrors the nature of the landing space.
This choice of exhibition space demonstrates a profound understanding of how to harmonize with Japanese spatial aesthetics. In traditional Japanese architecture and garden design, the concept of “ma” (間)—often translated as negative space or a pause—is fundamental to creating contemplative environments. The landing, as an in-between space, embodies this principle of “ma,” providing a breathing space that allows for reflection and gradual appreciation rather than immediate confrontation with the artwork.
Furthermore, this choice resonates deeply with the concept of “transitional space” (通過空間) in Japanese architecture. Transitional spaces, such as engawa (縁側, verandas), rōka (廊下, corridors), and genkan (玄関, entrance halls)—all unique to Japanese architecture—have played crucial roles in mediating between interior and exterior, movement and stillness, public and private realms. These spaces are not merely functional passages but are designed as experiential zones that prepare the mind and body for transition between different states of being.
“A Vessel Filling a Cup, Breathing Within” harmonizes with this spatial tradition by embracing the ambiguous, liminal quality of the landing. The work does not demand immediate attention but rather reveals itself gradually as viewers ascend or descend the stairs. This approach reflects the Japanese aesthetic principle of yugen (幽玄)—the subtle suggestion of beauty that emerges through restraint and understatement. The swaying motion experienced while climbing the stairs mimics the gentle rocking of a boat, creating a multisensory experience that integrates movement, vision, and spatial awareness.
The positioning also evokes the traditional Japanese practice of viewing artworks in sequence, as seen in scroll paintings (emakimono) or in the progression through garden spaces. Just as one experiences different scenes while unrolling a handscroll or walking through a garden path, the staircase landing allows for multiple viewing positions and changing perspectives, and creates a temporal dimension to the aesthetic experience.
Materiality, Light, and the Japanese Aesthetic of Impermanence
The appearance of the work glowing in the morning light further emphasized the materiality of the support. Through the shifting of light, the wood grain of the Shina plywood, the texture of the Japanese paper, and even the intentionally created distortions showed changing expressions over time. This temporal quality aligns with the Japanese aesthetic concept of mono no aware (物の哀れ)—the bittersweet awareness of the impermanence of all things.
The work’s responsiveness to changing light conditions creates what could be called a “living painting” that transforms throughout the day. This approach echoes the traditional Japanese appreciation for seasonal change and temporal beauty found in practices such as moon viewing (tsukimi) or flower viewing (hanami), where the aesthetic experience is inseparable from the passage of time and the changing environmental conditions.
This suggests new possibilities different from the traditional “transparency” of supports in conventional Japanese painting. The support is not something to be hidden but rather functions actively as an expressive element of the work in relationship with light and space. This integration of material, light, and time reflects the holistic approach characteristic of Japanese aesthetics, where the boundary between artwork and environment is deliberately blurred.
Questioning Traditional Support Systems
In conventional Japanese painting production, supports have generally been hidden behind the work as material foundations supporting the final expression. Various techniques—mounting in hanging scrolls, framing in screens and sliding doors, paper stretching on wooden panels—each serves to render the support “transparent,” directing viewers’ attention to the painted images and expressions. However, Ishimatsu’s practice can be read as a conscious questioning of this tacit understanding.
In “A Vessel Filling a Cup, Breathing Within,” the wooden board as support is presented not as something to be concealed but rather as an important formal element of the work. This goes beyond mere technical experimentation; it becomes an attempt to fundamentally question the relationship between support and expression in Japanese painting.
Contemporary Reinterpretation of Spatial Tradition
Each traditional format—hanging scrolls (kakejiku), standing screens (tsuitate), sliding door paintings (fusuma-e), and their relationships with Japanese architectural elements—possess unique spatiality and expressive possibilities, fundamentally tied to their integration within lived architectural spaces. These formats were never conceived as autonomous art objects but as integral components of spatial environments designed for daily life, ceremony, and contemplation.
Ishimatsu’s practice attempts a contemporary reinterpretation, building upon these spatial traditions. By placing her work in the transitional space of the staircase landing, she acknowledges the Japanese understanding that art and architecture are inseparable, that the viewing of art is always an embodied, spatial experience. The method of actively presenting the materiality of the support brings to mind the painting deconstruction movement of Support/Surface, yet it simultaneously opens new possibilities for the relationship between support and expression within the context of Japanese spatial aesthetics.
This spatial integration reflects the Japanese concept of shitsurai (室礼)—the art of arranging space to create harmony between objects, architecture, and human presence. The work does not compete with its architectural setting but rather complements and enhances the spatial experience, demonstrating how contemporary art can honor traditional spatial sensibilities while exploring new expressive territories.
The practice challenges the Western model of the “white cube” gallery space and instead embraces the Japanese tradition of contextual presentation, where the relationship between artwork, architecture, and viewer creates a unified aesthetic experience. This approach poses fundamental questions about the relationship between materiality and expression in Japanese painting by consciously avoiding the custom of concealing supports while maintaining harmony with traditional spatial principles.
Exhibition: Saga University Graduation Exhibition
Art work: A Vessel Filling a Cup, Breathing Within
Year: 2025