Meet Lapinlahti people: Yuki Klink and Shihomi Homma
Since halfway through August you might have heard happy exclamations in the halls of the Lapinlahti main building: Ohayoo gozaimasu, konnichiwa! Beautiful kimonos—or t-shirts of Finnish metal bands—have been flapping in the turns of Käytävägalleria and Osasto5, and the walls have been decorated with skilful shodo calligraphy works, exciting dragons, and intricate dolls.
Behind the Zen and Dragon -exhibition are the Japanese Shihomi Homma and Yuki Klink, who say that they have greatly enjoyed the atmosphere of Lapinlahti and meeting people. They were surprised at how many people were in the house on the opening night, which was Night of the Arts on the 17th of August.
—We enjoy this place a lot. It feels like in Finland people are many times more interested in Japanese art than in Germany, Yuki states.
Yuki and Shihomi met each other in a gallery in Tokyo. They noticed they had a lot in common. Yuki, who lived in Bremen, Germany, had visited Finland due to her musical interests. Shihomi, who is from Tokyo, has an identical twin sister, Ayumi Aalto, who has lived in Finland for a couple of years with her Finnish husband and daughter, and Shihomi had dreamt about visiting Finland. The idea to come to Finland together was born.
—For me the biggest miracle is that I have been able to do my own exhibition in Finland! Shihomi says.
Yuki visited Lapinlahti and the Hietaniemi cemetery with her German language teacher in the summer of 2018.
—The surroundings of the old psychiatric hospital were very intriguing. We opened the doors and saw wonderful gallery spaces and a cafe. An exhibition here felt like an amazing idea.
100-YEAR-OLD GRANDFATHER TEACHES CALLIGRAPHY
Both Yuki and Shihomi are calligraphers, who have learned their shodo skills from close relatives, Yuki from her father and Shihomi from her grandfather. Both men are masters of their craft. Shodo is a name for Japanese calligraphy.
—My grandfather is over 100 years old and still alive. I learned a lot from him, and when he stopped doing calligraphy, I inherited his tools. I wondered if I could also do sumi-e ink art—and YouTube was really helpful! I started with drawing koi fish, Shihomi says.
Yuki helped her father since she was a child, but a career in Japan as a successor to her father’s calligraphy school didn’t feel like her thing.
—So I ran away to Germany! But especially after my father passed away, I am proud that I am able to continue the traditions he taught and spread art that was inspired by him. But it was important for me to find my own style.
Yuki’s works in the exhibition are callibraphy, sumi-e ink paintings—and dolls.
—I own around 50 dolls. I make them in different forms, like cat dolls, says Yuki, whose pet cat has a surprisingly Finnish name: Heini.
DRAGONS COME ALIVE
Shihomi’s background is in a sushi kitchen: she worked in a Tokyoite restaurant for ten years as a sushi chef along with her sister.
—We were quite famous, because we were women, and also identical. Sushi chefs are usually men. We also had sushi courses for travelers, and I got a huge spark to spread Japanese culture outside of my country’s borders. The idea of my company, Japan Cross Bridge, is to make Japanese identity more familiar through culture.
Making art became more interesting than sushi, especially after her sister got a child and family life took its time. Shihomi found a way to spread the beauty of Japan and its traditions through painting and jewellery. She came up with artworks that are attached on top of kimono belts (obi), showcasing kimono culture at the same time.
Shihomi had a crisis when her sister moved to Finland. She describes her life as only being painful waiting. Identical twins might feel separation as a physical pain, and her niece moving felt like her own child was taken away.
—I was living waiting only to meet again. But then I found peace from meditation, which was taught to me by a priest at a temple. It changed my life. People are too busy. Meditation should be a similar daily routine than brushing your teeth. It would bring a lot of peace to the world.
—Suddenly I realized I was happy. I had neglected the grand joy that is born from being in the moment, feeling, and living. At the same time I found the dragons. They had something magical and wonderful. I started doing live painting every day, in hotels, temples, and events. Dragons have a huge power for change and holiness, zen.
—When I paint dragons live in front of people, they really come forward and everyone can sense that.
HÖLÖKYNKÖLÖKYN!
—We have felt welcome, cared for and had wonderful meetings here in Lapinlahti, Yuki and Shihomi describe.
The beautiful Samurai dance the duo performs has played in the Night of the Arts and Harvest festival, the dragon and calligraphy workshops filled quickly, and artist meetings have allowed visitors to get a deep contact to Japanese culture. Many participants walked away from Shihomi’s workshop with their own dragon.
The artists have enjoyed the place and been present almost every day to tell interested people more about Japanese culture.
—Finnish and Japanese people have a lot in common. People are nice, and your soft and quiet style works for us Japanese people. And sometimes you say hölökynkölökyn (cheers), Yuki laughs.
Read more about the Zen and Dragon exhibition!
Zen and Dragon exhibition can still be seen until 6th of September in the main building.
Käytävägalleria and Osasto 5 / Lapinlahden Lähde, main building, 1st floor.