Makiko Ryujin — Shinki #205, 2022

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Makiko Ryujin’s Burning Series are informed by the cultural ceremony of burning traditional sacred ornamental vessels, a ritual she observed as a child. In Japanese the character ‘Shin’ represents God and ‘Ki’ translates as ‘vessel’. The ceremony is rich in symbolism and is undertaken to mark both an end and a beginning; a demarcation of time that allows new plans to be reborn. 

Ryujin carefully turns the wood on a lathe to create high-sided bowls, urns and platters based on the forms of sacred Japanese temple vessels. During the long air drying process, the forms begin to shift as the green wood loses moisture. The final dramatic transformation takes place as the timber chars and splits during the unpredictable burning process. 

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Makiko Ryujin is a Naarm/Melbourne-based artist and woodturner working with timber to create sculptural objects, vessels, installations, and lighting.  Her practice is informed by her Japanese heritage and draws on the cultural burning ritual, 'Otakiage' – a tradition she observed as a child. The ceremony is rich in symbolism and acts as a collective demarcation of time with the opportunity for plans to be reborn. For the artist, including this burning element in her practice allows her to work alongside and embrace fire’s transformative nature. 'The fire assists the wood in transcending beyond what an artist can do and pulls nature back into the creative process.' Ryujin completed a Bachelor of Fine Art (Photography) at RMIT before studying woodworking with mentor Carl Lutz. Ryujin has exhibited locally and internationally and is found in both public and private collections. In 2020 Ryujin collaborated with Michael Gittings on a piece commissioned by the NGV and presented in the 2021 Triennial exhibition.