Minamo

The surface of the water mirrors the sky, ripples in the breeze, and glimmers with light. Beneath the shimmering surface, an ever-shifting world unfolds. Yosuke Shikada’s work “Minamo” invites viewers into an experience akin to watching film footage of such a scene. Through layers of transparent color created using the uchi-kise (cased glass) technique, the artist captures the constantly changing appearance of water as it responds to shifts in light and perspective. As light refracts and reflects within the layered glass, gentle undulations and remarkable depth emerge, giving form to the continuous flow of time and space.

Based in Ishikawa Prefecture, Yosuke has long made the transient nature of the world the central theme of his work. He is fascinated by the invisible changes found in the seasons, emotions, and the passage of time, as well as the phenomena that emerge when these changes overlap. He sees glass as a medium that gives form to what lies between. Embracing the unique nature of glass, which shifts between liquid and solid with changes in temperature while embodying both softness and hardness, fragility and strength, Yosuke seeks to make the very process of transformation visible.

Through its transparent layers of color and the subtle play of light, Minamo reflects the richness of a world in constant transition. It quietly invites us to discover the beauty hidden within everyday scenes and to appreciate the quiet significance of transience itself.