N COSMOGONY OF CHI | CHI NO KIGEN, NISSA NISHIKAWA INVITES US INTO A REALM WHERE BLOOD IS VITAL AND ESSENTIAL CHI, AND CONSCIOUSNESS AND SACRIFICE SHAPES THE WORLD. THIS EXHIBITION IS A JOURNEY THROUGH THE INTERCONNECTED FORCES OF ANIMALS, THE VEGETAL WORLD, AND THE COSMOS.
NISHIKAWA'S WORK DANCES WITH THE ESSENCE OF LIFE ITSELF. THROUGH HER ARTISTIC ALCHEMY, SHE TRANSFORMS NATURAL RESINS INTO VISCOUS, BLOOD-LIKE PROTECTIVE MATERIAL; CLAY BECOMES THE VERY FLESH OF THE EARTH; WOOD WHIRLS WITH THE DEATH OF ANCIENT ENTITIES; BITUMEN FLOWS AS THE BLACK LIFEBLOOD OF OUR PLANET; STEEL IS FORGED IN FIRE'S EMBRACE; AND GLASS CRYSTALLIZES ANIMAL FORM.
THESE MATERIALS BECOME CONDUITS FOR NISHIKAWA'S EXPLORATION OF SYMBOLIC ARCHETYPES RESONATING IN THE UNIFIED FIELD. HER SCULPTURES, FILMS AND PERFORMANCES SPEAK OF CO-CREATION WITH ANCESTRAL LINEAGES AND TRANSCENDENTAL AWARENESS, QUESTIONING OUR IMPACT ON THE MORPHOGENIC FIELD THAT WE WEAVE, THAT WEAVES US ALL.
THE EXHIBITION UNFOLDS AS A SENSORY JOURNEY. SMOKE WHISPERERS STAND SENTINEL, GUARDING SECRETS OF THE AGES. A METEORITE BRIDGES EARTH AND SKY, WHILE A MANDALA INFUSED WITH NATURAL PIGMENTS, ANIMAL HAIR, VOLCANIC STONES, AND SEEDS OF THE INTELLECT TREE MEDITATE ON IMPERMANENCE AND THE PSYCHIC CENTER.
NISHIKAWA'S PRACTICE IS A ‘SOMATIC WEATHERING PROCESS’ - A MOVEMENT WITH PRIMORDIAL SKY AND SOIL, UNIFYING THE GEOMANTIC AND ASTROMANTIC. HER WORK TOUCHES THE SACRED IN ALL THINGS - THE BODY SIGNALING BETWEEN THE FINITE AND INFINITE, THE GEOGRAPHY OF MYTHOS AND TRUTH, THE SPACE BETWEEN THE STARS, THE DARK QUINTESSENCE - EXPANDING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF EMBODIED AND NON-CORPOREAL WORLDS.
THIS IS AN OFFERING TO THE VOID, A RECIPROCITY WITH THE ECOSPHERE ITSELF. IT QUESTIONS WHAT WE EXTRACT AND ENDANGER, AND WHAT WE OFFER IN RETURN.
TEXT BY BEATRICE BROWN