NCWCA Art Tag—Construct/Construction

Bay Area Group 2024/2025

Art Tag is a creative game where participants make and share art inspired by a predetermined theme, with each piece building on the work of a partner. This is my work in response to the theme Construct/Construction.

What emerged from my participation in Art Tag— Construct/Construction is an assemblage that honors O’inari, the deity of rice, fertility, and prosperity in Japanese tradition. Balanced on a ruler is a paper mâché fox spirit and messenger of O’inari. I made this using simple materials like paper, scrap wood, and an old foldout ruler. These elements felt right—they carry a sense of resourcefulness and imperfection that mirrors the act of constructing something meaningful from what we may have discarded. The ruler, once used to measure precisely, now frames something intangible and sacred.

The offerings in the piece are deeply personal. One cup, brought back from Fukuoka, where my family is from, holds rice, a symbol of sustenance and spiritual nourishment, while the other, once broken and mended with gold, cradles nuts tied with silver thread, representing abundance and connection. The mended cup is about honoring the beauty in flaws and the stories they tell. The Milagros adorning the piece, small charms often associated with prayers, bring another layer of meaning. They remind me of how different traditions share a common thread of seeking protection, healing, and blessings.

The birch wood pedestal beneath is a canvas I painted in pink, ochre, and cream. This work isn’t just about constructing objects but also about building connections—between materials, cultures, and the sacred. In its imperfections and transformations, I see a reflection of life’s beauty and resilience. It’s a small offering to the world and the divine.