Madoka Chiba (千葉麻十佳)
Born 1982 in Sapporo Enrolled in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2003, graduating in 2007. Upon graduation, she would receive the Salon de Printemps Prize and the Ikuo Hirayama Prize, which the university independently selects for and awards. The same year, she enrolled in the university's graduate course in sculpture, which she completed in 2009. That year she received a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), and enrolled in the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin) as an exchange student. She did not graduate, but instead began working as an artist the following year. She received the Bronze Prize and Jury Prize (Yasumasa Morimura) at Maebashi Art Compe Live in 2011 and 2012, respectively. In 2023, she received also the Grand Prize at Art Award IN THE CUBE 2023.
Past exhibitions (selected) : * is solo exhibition “Art Award IN THE CUBE 2023” Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu, Gifu 2023 “TOKACHIDAKE” Furano City Museum, Furano 2022 “12th Extream Cold Festival” Yuki-Mori Outside Museum, Teshikaga 2022 “Sonnen-Uhr” OAG, Tokyo 2022 “Artist at the crossroad” Kyu-Kaneyo Yoneguchi, Tobetsu 2021 “Looking for Taisetsu-Stone” The Site of Nomura Warehouse, Asahikawa 2021 * “Niigata in the Universe” YUI-PORT, Niigata 2020 * “Lightrays” GALLERY OFF GRID, Fukushima 2019 * “Weather Report” TOCHIGI PREFECTURAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, Utsunomiya 2018 “1000 Grad” Hohhaus Museum Lauterbach, Lauterbach 2017 * “The Melting Point; In Fluctuating Stones” Tachibana Gallery, Tokyo 2016 * Nakanojo Biennale 2015 “Rays” Hirosakari and “Meltings Stone by Sunlight” at Museé, Nakanojo 2015 “Tracing Light” Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo 2015 * “Ich kann mich nicht erinnern” Historischer Keller, Berlin 2014 “das unbewusste Naturgesetz” Japanese-German Center Berlin, Berlin 2013 (Supported by NOMURA FOUNDATION) “Water Tower Art Fest” Water Tower, Sofia 2012 “blooming in the dark” Historischer Keller, Berlin 2012 (The Asahi Shimbun Foundation) Artist in Residence: 12th Extream Cold Festival, Teshikaga 2022 Artist in Residence Asahikawa , Asahikawa 2021 YUI-PORT, Niigata 2020 Listhus, Ólafsfjördur, Iceland 2016 Sapporo Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan 2015 Artist Statement
My work is one of the answers to the question, "What is light?". In many cases, light itself is incorporated into the work, without distinguishing between natural and artificial light, using natural phenomena. I develop my work by connecting light with the context of historical events as well as contemporary social issues. Light is a classic subject in art, but the light used in my work is not like the shading of paintings or light art, but rather focuses on the scientific aspects of light.
Light has many different meanings: In the past, before electricity, the only way to get light was from the sun or fire. In indigenous religions all over the world, the sun and fire were revered as deities, but in modern society, we no longer worship them as gods; rather, light is interpreted as an electromagnetic wave and utilized it for physical energy. And, light is also a weapon. Nuclear bombs have destroyed many people and things with an enormous amount of light. And although not a weapon, nuclear fuel also emits light. Although the interpretation of light has changed over time, it still continues to be an object of fear, by our own hands.
The reason I create pieces about light is because it is such a subject, with a wide range of meanings. It is said that living things cannot exist without light, but there is also death caused by light. In today's world, where everything that has been built up is instantly destroyed by weapons that emit intense light, how can we survive and connect the earth to the next generation? "What is light?" is a question that confronts us wiht our own attitudes and behavior.