March 9 – May 5, Setouchi City, Okayama:

Motoi Yamamoto is a Japanese artist known for working with salt, often in the form of temporary, intricate, large-scale installations.

Motoi forged a connection to the substance while mourning the death of his sister. “In 1994, my 24-year-old sister died of a brain tumor, and my wife, who had been by my side for 25 years, died of breast cancer in 2016. There is shock and sadness when something important that should still exist disappears from right in front of you. No matter how much you want to be reunited, this is a reality that never will come true. I have faced this conflict and given it shape.”

Motoi Yamamoto has created a monumental installation of about 100.000 cherry blossom petals made of salt for his solo exhibition ‘Sakura Shibefuru’, which means ‘Falling cherry petals’ at the Setouchi City Art Museum. For this exhibition, which opened March 9 and is on until May 5, 2021, the Japanese artist developed the salt petals one by one, which took him 55 hours and about nine days of work.

“By sitting on the floor and spending long hours drawing, perhaps I am trying to retain memories that fade with time.”

Visitors are invited to pause and enjoy the meticulously crafted scenery, while contemplating ‘the next season, after the cherry blossoms have fallen.’

Location: Setouchi City Art Museum, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Duration: March 9 – May 5, 2021