About the artist
Atsunobu Katagiri was born in 1973 in Osaka, Japan, where he lives and works. His relationship with nature is intrinsic to his artistic production. At the age of just 24, he became the master of the Misasagi Ikebana School, where he serves as head and continues to teach.
Using a dynamic artistic language, he resorts to traditional ikebana techniques while also exploring contemporary approaches to more freely produce installations with flowers, plants, branches, and other natural elements. These distinct aspects coexist in his creations, emphasizing the regenerative potential of nature, which he takes as a fundamental resource. This is seen in works such as the photo book Sacrifice – The Ikebana of Regeneration Offered to the Future, an outcome of the artist's work in the city of Minamisōma, located in the prefecture of Fukushima, a region profoundly impacted by the 2011 earthquake. There, he found and used a traditional flower species from the region that had disappeared due to human activity, but which regenerated after the disaster, exemplifying the cycles of life.
This experience resulted in a floral arrangement work, a series of photographs, as well as texts about his process – thus indicating the breadth of Katagiri's interests, as the artist moves between techniques and media, always emphasizing the potential of nature.
We are, us, Nature
The extremely poetical work of botanical artist Atsunobu Katagiri deals with the power of nature, evidencing its regenerative potential and its intrinsic relationship with human beings. It's no wonder that this relationship, known to be essential for the survival of the human species, has inspired so many myths in various cultures.
“The future is ancestral, and humanity must learn from it to tread lightly on the earth,” says writer Ailton Krenak, in a famous phrase now on its way to becoming a mantra.
In light of the importance of learning from the indigenous peoples, coupled with the recovery of certain bygone, more harmonious and conscientious ways of life, this perception of total interdependence should be familiar to everyone. Just as we should all be aware of the imperative to expand our knowledge and respect for flora and fauna. Two myths, one from Brazil and one from Japan – the manioc legend and the myth of the five cereal grains origin, respectively – which consider Nature and the human being as composing a single whole, are reproduced in the exhibition’s publication, illustrated with photographic works produced by Katagiri between 2019 and 2023.
Furthermore, studies have pointed to an improvement in physical health and cognitive aspects when we engage in regular contact with Nature.
Shinrin-yoku (森林浴), or “forest bath,” is a therapy introduced as a public health initiative in Japan by the National Forest Agency in 1982.
The therapy aims to reduce people's stress by encouraging contact with Nature, valuing silence and observation
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In this new site-specific installation, Katagiri seeks to propose this complete immersion.
Essência [Essence] is a concentrated capsule of tranquil space – on one of the busiest avenues in the country's largest metropolis.
Our insertion into this artwork stimulates us to make contact with our thoughts, with that entire world that dwells within, and enables us to recover our perception of well-being, almost as though we were in a sanctuary.
It is a way for us to connect and understand the magnitude of this relationship and, above all, to become aware of its fragility and finitude.
Natasha Barzaghi Geenen
Cultural Director of Japan House São Paulo and curator of the exhibition