Who is my mother?

Rather than limiting the focus to folktales, I also turned the attention to the stories that unfold in everyday life, thereby advancing the contemporary relevance of narrative. In Who Is our Mother? I developed a story in which a group of tadpoles, in their search for their mother, encounter various animals as their own bodies gradually transform, eventually taking on the same form as their mother. The tadpoles’ subtle movements within these small episodes serve to drive the progression of time throughout the work.

During the creative process, instead of using the traditional technique seen in classical picture scrolls and Yamato-e paintings — where transitions between scenes are veiled with mist — I employed the technique of “hakuraku” (peeling), which symbolizes the passage of time. Essential motifs were retained on the surface, while omitted areas were intentionally peeled away.