Mujina

SOLD

2023
Silicone, foam, pigment, cotton and metal
Approximately 60 x 180 x 60 cm

Sponsored by Bentley Advanced Materials

This hyper-realistic, life-sized sculpture piece represents a fusion of human and non-human elements, encapsulating the artist's personal trauma. Drawing inspiration from Posthuman philosophy, the artist challenges the inadequacies of humanism and advocates liberation from patriarchal ideologies. Fascinated by the existence of Japanese folklore (Yōkai)—entities characterised by their strange, non-human essence and their phenomenological coexistence with Japanese culture since ancient times—the artist incorporates this aesthetic into the work.

The figure is adorned in Ohata's unique artificial skin kimono jacket, known as Haori, serving as an embodiment of a technique Ohata developed in 2021, creating unique artificial skin textiles imprinted with the artist’s own skin textures. This innovative approach clothes the sculpture in an uncanny garment, blurring the lines between animal and human transformation, and veiling its identity.

Ohata's practice is rooted in the belief that their creations are not merely objects of aesthetic appreciation but are also meant to be wearable pieces that invite interaction. The creation of these pieces is a journey towards self-acceptance and an embrace of individual skin, aiming to evoke warmth and familiarity among viewers.