Naomi Taichi Fotenos

italicised japanese word centres on an armature used to make cōchin lanterns. Birch plywood pieces fit together and are held in tension. Dental floss, replacing the traditional split bamboo, is wound in a spiral around the armature, forming the frame of the lantern. Washi paper is applied to each spiral ring. Once the paper is glued to the frame, the armature collapses and passes through the lantern skin. A chabudai, a Japanese sitting table, is positioned upside down nearby.

The work reaches towards the absent craftsperson and the inheritance of craft practice. It explores the space between object, process, and the performance of national, cultural, and ethnic association.

Naomi Taichi Fotenos is a Dublin-based artist originally from the United States. Drawing from Japanese, Brazilian, Greek, and Jewish family heritage, her practice explores questions of belonging and memory across temporal distance.