Spending a month in Togatta, Japan, was a transformative experience, shaped by the harsh cold and the quiet beauty of the landscape. I was accompanied by my younger daughter for the first three weeks, whose presence added warmth and intimacy to this creative journey. During this time, I was mostly reflecting and slowly gathering ideas, making only small progress as I adjusted to the environment and its challenges.
We took long walks, exploring the town’s charming nooks and discovering its breathtaking beauty. Every corner seemed to hold a quiet story, from the winding paths to the serene shrines and picturesque views. These walks became our ritual, grounding us in the rhythm of Togatta’s life and planting the seeds of inspiration.
Slowly, the creative spark ignited. I began with an “inspirational wall,” a visual diary where ideas and fragments of imagery began to converge. From the very beginning, I started writing a story inspired by a local Shinto shrine and its three pairs of guardian dogs. Their enigmatic presence drew me in, compelling me to uncover their origins. As someone born in Central Asia, this connection resonated deeply, sparking a flow of creativity. My research into the Silk Road revealed the fascinating journey of the lion-dog motif, which traveled from the Altai region of Kazakhstan through Mongolia, China, and Korea before arriving in Japan.
This exploration led to a narrative about a dog and a small bird journeying together from Central Asia to Japan, mirroring my own artistic and cultural journey. It became a unifying thread, weaving my roots into the new world I was discovering.
In the final week of my residency, my older daughter and husband arrived. Their presence allowed me the freedom to fully immerse myself in my work, dedicating entire days to drawing and crafting the costume for my performance. The momentum shifted, and the ideas that had been quietly forming during the earlier weeks began to flow freely, culminating in ten drawings, two masks, and a performance held in Togatta’s central park.
Initially, the residency director had planned for a modest three-day exhibition of the artists’ work. However, after seeing how my drawings, masks, and story came together as a cohesive body of work, he decided to extend the exhibition to a full week. This moment filled me with joy and pride, as it was a validation of my efforts and a testament to the transformative power of immersing oneself fully in the creative process.
Adding to the marvel of this experience, the photo used for the exhibition poster was taken by my younger daughter. Her unique perspective and her ability to capture the essence of my work brought a deeply personal touch to the promotion of the exhibition. Seeing her contribution become part of the residency’s public face was a proud and heartwarming moment for me.
The performance became the highlight of my time in Togatta—a culmination of my reflections and a dialogue between my art and the land that nurtured it. This residency will remain etched in my memory—a time when I danced with the cold, listened to the whispers of guardian spirits, and allowed the rhythm of the land to guide my art. The town’s beauty, its quiet energy, and the layered history of its cultural symbols shaped not only my work but also my understanding of the connections that bind us across time and geography.
Awesome article.