Shisa of Prayer - The form of a guardian deity born from the climate of Okinawa -

Originally, Okinawa's Shisa lived to protect homes with roofs and gates.
The statue has been placed with prayers as a ``guardian beast'' that protects against wind, rain, and invisible disasters.
For Yuto Aragaki, Shisa is not just a motif, but also a very personal guardian deity that guided him to ``creation'' and supported his life.

In Okinawa, where the divine is felt in nature and Utaki, it has been believed that spirituality dwells in everything, including rocks, trees, sea breezes, and the boundaries of villages. Prayers are offered to invisible beings through stones, shrines, and Shisa statues. Aragaki's Shisa is an extension of that animistic belief. For him, Shisa is a ``vessel that houses prayers'' that can receive prayers, anxiety, and gratitude.

Born in the Yachimun pottery, Aragaki grew up in a culture that respected the individuality of each craftsman, while also respecting the tradition of Shisa as the "face of the kiln" that had been passed down from generation to generation. For this reason, his creations do not just follow a mold, but also have a respect for indigenous beliefs and a suppleness that accommodates modern sensibilities. In his hands, Shisa, a imaginary divine beast, has been updated into an existence that watches over the "life" of this era.

In this new work, the symbols of Western astrology's ``12 constellations'' are woven into the gestures of the shisa.Although images of constellations echo in the horns, mane, and rhythm of the body's surface, what remains at the center is the presence of Shisa as a guardian deity created by Okinawa's soil, fire, and prayers. Constellations serve as a gateway for those of us living in modern times to reconnect with this indigenous guardian beast.

In his work, Aragaki maintains the attitude of a maker of ``a place where prayer dwells.'' As he says, ``All I do is make things look cool.The soul and prayers are what the person himself puts into them.''As he says, there is a blank space within his works that does not have a fixed meaning. Because of this blank space, viewers are able to quietly superimpose their own stories and the existence they wish to protect onto the image of Shisa.

Prayers rooted in Okinawa's history and climate, the star symbol imported from the West, and the life of a writer named Yuto Aragaki. When all of these things come together, Shisa will once again stand up as a ``place of spiritual refuge'' for those of us living in modern times.

B-OWND