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Leeay Aikawa

Woven- Materials, Objects and Space(s) beyond measure at Xpace Cultural Centre
The show explores sisterhood, through material play and craft methodology as a way to cope with a patriarchal culture that overly promotes separation. Our interests lie within a wide spectrum of ancient traditional techniques such as weaving, felting, basketry, stitching, and foraging in relation to our connection to the land. This directly echoes our concern for human disconnection from nature and traditions or wisdom that is fragmented. 

Through collaborating, Kristi Chen, Akash Inbakumar, Leeay Aikawa and material(s) engage in worlding a future that blurs the lines between the human body, material, and land with a focus on the process. The show features both collaborative pieces and works of individual practice. 

Roots (2021)
Discarded domestic mini tree, hand sawn, 7.5 x 12”/ installation

I found this discarded mini tree in my neighborhood while I was walking. Next day, I brought a Japanese saw to cut out the roots. My role as an artist in this work is rather an Earth assistant to suggest the gestures of the Earth system through which I reexamine human, non-human relationships. 

𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 (2021) invites viewers to be a part of the collaborative experience. Each component of the 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 are materials that are repurposed from each other’s practices. Akash’s roving, gravel
 Kristi’s plywood circle are sourced from previous projects and reshaped into this work.
Leeay’s rake and gold leaf seashells are all made with found materials within the forest and the city.
Our spontaneous contributions to this work reflect the familial relationship we experienced as a collective sisters.
When viewers are encouraged to pick up the rake and create patterns within the gravel, their role shifts from viewers to collaborators who engage in this work.
The pond shows different faces depending on how the participants interact with the piece, never settling to one.

This collaborative piece features a rake I made with found wood sticks and gilded sea shells.

These rakes are my attempt as a short person to extend my arms to enable recording my physical motion while standing and moving.  

Woven (2020)
Tall grass (both invasive and indigeneous), cotton thread, found ceramics, artist’s hair and her friends hair woven with cotton thread, approx 8 ft tall

Untitled (2021)Collaborative bricolageThe piece was made between two other artists with materials we each found. Through this project, we explored sisterhood.

Soil moon 

Luminous Pine Needle (2021)

Pine needles, needles, woven with cotton thread, approx 36” in length/ meditative tool

This piece is rooted in my interest in energy points in the subtle body and explores what it means to pierce these points with awareness- including the opening of the third eye (decalcify pineal gland)

Essentially, this is like a tool that assists my meditation practice. 

𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 (2021)
assemblage, 30” x 40” 07-08 AIKAWA: Critter (2021), assemblage, 30” x 40” approx

Discarded fuel tank, found dog hair, branches, silver grass, baked lotus roots gilded, and found objects, bricolage

The work gathers discarded objects from the urban landscape and reconsiders our relationship to the world and animals. It traces my bodily relationship to the surrounding neighborhood– loosely 2 km diameter within which I can walk per day.

Root Guru (2021)
Discarded domestic mini tree, found polypores, honeycomb, pinecone, soybean tied together, 7.5 x 12”/ installation

What is usually under mother soil is exposed and facing up towards father sky, weaving the opposites. Conscious/ unconscious , summer/ winter, day/ night, masculine/ feminine, rise/ fall, or birth/ death - indicates the dependencies of the opposites and possibility of transforming into another any moment. She, both he and she, is the root guru.

Exhibition full view