Women's Studies Research Center

"Long Hand Poem"

On View: July 5 - Oct. 27, 2017

Sachiko Akiyama

Post card for Sachiko Akiyama's exhibit entitled "Long Hand Poem" depicts a wooden sculpture of an Asian woman with a long neck and a hand emerging from a form that resembles a mountain. Text says: Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center. Sachiko Akiyama. Long Hand Poem. July 5 - October 27. Kniznick Ggallery

In Sachiko Akiyama's hand-carved wooden sculptures, the distinction between seeing and touch are softened, as her figures merge with creatures and spaces typically observed from a distance.“Long Hand Poem”reveals Akiyama’s interest in birds and their migratory habits as symbols of the intrinsic intelligence that connects an entity with its home. Her intensely physical process of carving into a large chunk of wood broadens the meaning of her symbols, as she describes “reaching in” toward nature to find concealed forms.

While Akiyama’s figures outwardly assume a statuesque poise that alludes to religious sculpture, their point of departure is distinctly personal. The facial features of her ancestors are represented in some work, and her precise descriptions offer a delicately crafted entry point for viewers.

From July 10-28, 2017, Akiyama worked on campus to develop a site-specific print installation to accompany the exhibition.

Sculpture by Sachiko Akiyama entitled "Where Earth Meets Sky, 2012. Wood, clay, paint. 19" x 13-1/2" x 17-1/2". Sculpture two elder Asian women's heads emerging from mountains.

Sachiko Akiyama, "Where Earth Meets Sky," 2012. Wood, clay, paint. 19" x 13-1/2" x 17-1/2"

View of Kniznick Gallery installation of Sachiko Akiyama's exhibit "Long Hand Poem." Photo shows the sculpture “Origins,” 2014, wood, resin, paint, 46” x 19-½” x 11”. It is displayed on a platform with 2 wooden figures. Each figure has something from nature instead of a head. The woman has a forest. The man has a mountain. Both figures' hands are holding these natural forms in place. Two other artworks are on the walls behind the sculptures. On the left is “On Finding Home,” a carved image made from polychromed wood and gold leaf, 40” x 8-½” x 9-½”. The other is a construction in a shadow box containing a figure and trees; only partially visible.

Kniznick Gallery installation: Sachiko Akiyama | Long Hand Poem