Shiota has been working with threads since her student days. Initially she studied painting, but finding the canvas and paper too limiting, she searched for a more physical, holistic way to create art.

Over time she developed her inimitable weaving technique, which she began applying in ever-larger spatial installations. Gradually she also began embedding found objects steeped in personal memories. While the content of her work is often personal, it transcends the private level and acquires wider universal significance. Shiota strives to engage the viewer in a process of rekindling feelings and memories that might not be accessible on a conscious level.

Chiharu Shiota’s Tracing Boundaries is the fourth in a series of exhibitions hosted jointly by EMMA and the Saastamoinen Foundation. In the series a new work is commissioned annually from a topically relevant contemporary artist for the foundation’s art collection.