Forbidden
I have quite a collection of pearls in my possession. I can call myself a collector of pearls I guess.
Among all pearls, Biwa pearls are probably the most fascinating - as nature produces them in forms that appear unmistakably anatomical. Biwa pearls originate from the Lake Biwa near Kyoto, in Japan. The place is also famous for the first Mikomoto's attempts of implanting pearl bearing shells with nucleus - which started the new era of pearl farming around the world. But biwa pearls were not carved or manipulated into provocative shapes, there are no nucleus or implants. They emerged from the water this way, carrying forms that many viewers instantly recognise (though sometimes hesitate to acknowledge). The pendants and earrings from my Forbidden series began with this observation.
While researching these pearls, I found myself drawn to another aspect of Japanese culture: the ancient fertility traditions of Shinto.
One of the most famous examples is Kanamara Matsuri, the annual Festival of the Steel Phallus. There is a story behind it - about jealous demon hid inside a young woman's body and bit off the genitals of her suitors. Desperate for help, she turned to a blacksmith, who forged an iron phallus. When the demon attempted to bite it, his teeth shattered and he fled. The steell phallus became a protective talisman and was later enshrined. Today the festival celebrates fertility, prosperity, protection and the continuation of life, in its original context, neither vulgar nor obscene.
This perspective resonates deeply with Forbidden series with biwa pearls. They are forms generated by living organisms. Nature itself repeatedly arrives at shapes we later label as erotic, inappropriate or taboo.
For me, these pieces are not just about provocation. They invite us to question where our ideas of beauty, modesty and taboo originate.
