NIOU

NIOU was created for Miyaji Shrine in Kumamoto, Japan, a shrine with a history of around 1,400 years. For the figures, I combined characteristics of Buddhist sculpture from Shuanglin Temple in China with a local tradition of the shrine. During the New Year period, sumo wrestlers are invited to perform and pray for the wellbeing of the local community. Because of this connection, I gave the Nio figures fuller, heavier bodies based on sumo wrestlers rather than the more muscular and defined bodies often seen in traditional Japanese Buddhist sculpture. Through the work, I wanted to bring together different sculptural traditions and the living customs of the local community, allowing a traditional religious image to take on a form that belongs specifically to this place.