散文詩 Prose Poetry by Akiko Hirai

Solo Show 8th July - 9th September 2022

Carefully curated at Flow Gallery “Poetry Prose’ is a much anticipated Solo show by Akiko Hirai. This body of work reflects the unspoken language of objects and the way we can communicate and interact through craft. Hirai’s intention is that the body of work becomes whole through the poetic interpretation by the viewer and the way her work makes them feel.

“In spoken language, everyone has a different style to how we tell things; a kind of unorganised, un-systemised way of communication. You learn how to use your material, like painter does visual language, the poet has their own verbal style, and the musician their own style of composing. They all communicate with the audience. This is happening in pottery too; everyone’s work speaks its own language. Anything handmade which people make from scratch is a kind of language, there are words in it. We can compose poetry from what we see.”

Akiko Hirai

“Visual information is actually very, very strong information, so even if you don’t want it to, it will reflect on your work. It’s not a direct expression, but you feel it. That’s another inspiration for the title ‘Prose Poetry’ – in poetry, you don’t need to use any description of the feeling, and instead you can describe the scenery. Yet through it, you can see how that person looking at that scenery is feeling.”

Akiko Hirai

Photography by Talia Laikin and Chloé Rosetta Bell