"Life, death, and rebirth" - a prayer for the cycle of life and nature spun by Hana Mukomi

I create works with the main themes of "life, death, and rebirth," "prayer to nature," and "cycle of life."

The experience of the earthquake and the various realizations I encountered in Japan's natural environment—for example, the volcanoes that shape the earth through repeated eruptions, and the primeval forests that erupt over time—taught me the fragility and strength of life, and the rhythm of nature that lies in constant change.
These experiences have made me ask fundamental questions such as ``What is living?'' and ``What is life?'' and these are the core of my work.

In the casting technique that I originally developed called "hanaikomi," metal is poured into a space where real fresh flowers have been burnt down, thereby transforming the momentary beauty of the flower into a new metal presence.
This technique makes it possible to express metal as extremely thin as 0.1mm, creating a form that coexists with delicate fragility and strength.
It embodies the end of life and rebirth into a new existence, as well as the prayer-like feelings that dwell in this process.

For me, art is a time for me to dive deep into myself while quietly facing the work of art, and to reconsider my existence within the larger cycle of nature.
Through my work, I hope that it will evoke the feeling that ``I am a part of nature,'' and that it will serve as an opportunity to gently look into the roots of life, death, and existence.
Art is a prayer that reaches people even if they are not spoken, and it can sometimes be a means of connecting with people deep down.I believe in this possibility and continue to create art.

B-OWND