A short review by Christie Yung Hei Chan
‘May Your Wish Come True’ is a poetic trilogy. It was first exhibited two years ago, and was initially presented as an installation which consisted of a small forest of suspended glass leaves, powder-printed with strangers’ wishes. A sequel to this was a public participatory project, in which Natsumi invited passersby in the busy city centre to share their wishes, as the artist hand-carved their wishes on real leaves in situ.
Part III of ‘May Your Wish Come True’ is what we see in Art Matters Now’s Our Fragile Coexistence exhibition. It is a site-specific installation combining the real and artificial leaves created from the first two parts of the work. What makes it more special is the improvisation that took place during the installation of this new iteration—from the positioning of the reclaimed tree branch to the adjustment of lighting. Light and shadow play an important role in highlighting the ethereal appearance of the piece, which now takes the form of a tree protruding from the gallery wall, metaphorically coinciding with the ever-growing and evolving nature of Natsumi’s work.
Over the years, ‘May Your Wish Come True’ has undergone a number of transformations which gave the work itself more depth. It also bears cultural significance as the artist ties her own interpretation of the work back with her cultural origins. In Japan, according to the Natsumi, leaves are believed to connect the physical and spiritual world by being a carrier of a person’s wishes or prayers.
As Natsumi’s work continues to develop, it visually retells the story of how people’s wishes, aspirations and desires coexist with the world surrounding them—sometimes harmoniously, sometimes conflictingly.
The intrinsic concept of this piece and its evolution are what truly fascinate me. I can only imagine what form it will take in years to come.
Edited by Christie Chan 陳雍希