On divides

This exhibition, On divides, features the work of Eiji Uozumi, a member of the Local Revitalization Co-op in Watari, Miyagi Prefecture. Since 2021, Uozumi has been based in Watari, engaging deeply with the region through the act of creation. (His official tenure as a co-op member began in 2023.)

Through drawing, writing, and sculpting, I have explored various modes of "making" as a means to understand this land. This multifaceted research approach is deeply rooted in my professional background. After studying architecture at university, I gained experience in strategic planning and production at advertising and design agencies, continuing to work across both tangible and intangible design. By intentionally avoiding a single specialized field, I have found joy in the new ways of seeing the world that emerge from the countless unknown encounters inherent in the creative process.

In my activities as a Local Revitalization Co-op member, I have sought to overlap my accumulated sensibilities with this land, projecting my life in Watari into unique forms. "Life and work," "the extraordinary moments that drift into the ordinary," "feeling versus understanding"—I have distilled the insights born within these shifting "in-betweens" of human existence into physical objects. In addition to these works, the exhibition features documentation of workshops held with the children of Watari, aimed at sharing our unique perspectives. It is my hope that these records of our activities will serve as an opportunity for visitors to re-encounter the town of Watari in a new light.