Day 8 features Yoshinari Nishio, Artist, one of the exhibiting artists in Block C.
The art project presented in Block C is titled Sewing Voices. The voices refer to verses from poems written by inmates. Participants in the project embroider these verses onto pieces of cloth, which are then gathered and displayed together. Each piece of cloth is the size of a brick, reflecting the brickwork architecture of Nara Prison. More than 200 participants, primarily residents of Nara, created approximately 2,000 cloth pieces. When I first learned of Nara Prison and encountered the collection of poems written by the inmates of the former Nara Juvenile Prison, I began to wonder if art could connect the prison with society, which led me to the Sewing Voices project. Rather than defining them simply as criminals, we should see inmates as human beings who may have committed unforgivable acts but also possess parts we can empathize with. By engaging with their poems—the cries of their hearts—and embroidering those verses, I hope we can move one step closer to understanding their humanity.
Professor at the Department of Intermedia Art, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. Focusing primarily on clothing, he examines the relationship between the act of dressing and communication. He develops art projects both in Japan and overseas through collaboration with citizens and students, putting into practice the role of art in society. While serving as an associate professor at Nara Prefectural University, he was struck by the overwhelming presence of Nara Prison.
While exploring ways for art to bridge the gap between the inside and outside of the prison, he was invited by the Nara Prison Museum to create an art installation and launched the Sewing Voices art project.
Follow the series on Instagram: “The Exquisite Prison and the 30”
