Gestures in Clothing – OH Haji x Aomori City Archives: Aomori Contemporary Art Center, Japan

Haji Oh

10 Feb - 17 Mar 2013

Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori

Haji Oh focused on “Kogin”, the old cloth in Aomori, and made the photo works and also showed the “Kogin” itself. She shows same photo works and “Kogin” in Kanazawa, too. This exhibition aims to present the works of the former Keiko Kan Museum, now part of the folk materials and collections archived by the Aomori City Board of Education, from another perspective.

The Aomori Contemporary Art Centre (ACAC) will exhibit traditional Kogin-zashi and Hishi-zashiworks made primarily of hemp fabric, which give us a glimpse into the histories of the individuals who owned and wore them: work clothing, undergarments, and mosquito nets among other commonplace objects.

Haji Oh’s past works and newest photography will also be on display. It is said that clothing is one’s second skin. In this exhibition, the ACAC attempts to depict the rich lives of the unnamed people hidden in the threads of these clothes and fabrics by displaying items in a way that allows the viewer to feel the body warmth and memories stitched within them.