Ikebana (COMMITMENT series) Print

Fru has created a series of paintings dedicated to the concept of "hold" and "stop" or “COMMITMENT” and shows this with the example of Shibari. The character 縛 in Shibari (縛り) means to tie, to bind, to fasten, in a real, or emotional sense, like family bonds. The sign consists of the image for "thread", "hand" and "plant in a field" and evokes that plants need to be tied up in order to grow well. This is why the Japanese also see a close relationship between shibari and ikebana, which means "living plants". The origins of Shibari can be traced back to the techniques used by the samurai warriors of feudal Japan to restrain prisoners. Over time, these techniques evolved into a form of erotic bondage in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). In the 1950s and 1960s Shibari gained popularity with the work of artists. In the 2000s, Fru was inspired by the Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki. In his COMMITMENT series, he shows different ways of being trapped in culturally universal themes. Fru combines shibari with photography and Zen painting Zenga. This work is part of the ‘Haiku Zenga Photo’ series, which was created with numerous videos, five books and over 80 images between 2020 and 2024. Please contact curator@saatchiart.com for more details about the ‘Haiku Zenga Photo’ series and on the artistic process from the idea for the bodypainting, through performance, video, photography and editing in Photoshop to the final image that looks like a painting.