Artist Masako Miki crafts modern take on ancient Japanese folklore

Key Concepts

• Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of 100 Demons): An ancient Japanese folklore tradition involving supernatural beings roaming the streets at night.
• Yōkai: Supernatural monsters, spirits, or demons in Japanese folklore, often characterized by their "otherness."
• Needle Felting: A labor-intensive textile art technique involving the repeated stabbing of wool fibers to create sculptures.
• Contemporary Mythology: The process of reinterpreting ancient stories to reflect modern human experiences, specifically the immigrant experience.
• Otherness: The social or psychological state of being perceived as different or alien, which Miki explores through her art.

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The "Midnight March" Exhibition

Artist Masako Miki has transformed the Mass Art Art Museum in Boston with her exhibition titled Midnight March. The installation features a series of colorful, needle-felted sculptures that reinterpret the ancient Japanese legend of the Hyakki Yagyō.

Reimagining the Yōkai

• The Original Myth: Traditionally, the Hyakki Yagyō depicts yōkai as frightening, monstrous entities that rampage through villages, forcing humans to hide.
• Miki’s Perspective: Miki challenges the "demonization" of these creatures. She argues that yōkai were historically vilified simply because they were "other." In her interpretation, these beings are not perpetrators but misunderstood entities—discarded objects (such as umbrellas or prayer beads) seeking a safe home.
• The Goal of Affinity: By crafting the sculptures with vibrant colors, patterns, and "cuddly" forms, Miki aims to foster an "affinity" in the viewer. She posits that this sense of attraction and comfort is a gateway to empathy, helping viewers look past the "otherness" of the creatures.

The Immigrant Experience and Cultural Identity

Lisa Tung, the artistic director of the Mass Art Art Museum, notes that the exhibition serves as a metaphor for the immigrant experience.

• Cultural Duality: Miki, who was raised in Japan and moved to the U.S. as a young adult, uses these characters to navigate the tension between her Japanese heritage and her life as an independent woman in America.
• The Search for Belonging: The yōkai represent the universal human struggle to find a place where one fits in. Miki describes the process as a way to reconcile her identity, moving away from the pressure to choose between being "more American" or "Japanese" and instead creating a new, hybrid narrative.

Methodology: The Art of Needle Felting

Miki employs a rigorous and physically demanding process to bring her characters to life:

• The Process: She uses needle felting, which involves repeatedly stabbing mounds of wool over an armature (a structural frame).
• Physicality: Miki describes the process as "labor-intensive" and physically painful, noting that it causes strain on the shoulders and arms.
• The Philosophy of Making: Miki views the repetitive nature of needle felting as a form of prayer. She argues that there are "no shortcuts" in this medium; the intensity and focus required during the creation process eventually imbue the sculpture with its own "spirit" or independent existence.

Key Quotes

• On the power of narrative: "It's a human nature to make stories and narratives, and, you know, if you believe in the same story, there's a sense of trust, and we actually believe in that stories and we act on it." — Masako Miki
• On the connection between art and empathy: "I think affinity leads into the empathy." — Masako Miki
• On the creative process: "You repeat the same thing for so long, and then like you're like so focused and intense, and you had and at the end, it becomes like a uh it's own thing. It has its own spirit." — Masako Miki

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Synthesis

Masako Miki’s Midnight March serves as a bridge between ancient folklore and contemporary social commentary. By transforming the "monstrous" yōkai into inviting, colorful sculptures, she encourages viewers to confront their biases regarding "otherness." Through the meditative and grueling process of needle felting, Miki creates a physical manifestation of the immigrant journey—a search for safety, belonging, and a unified identity that honors both past traditions and present realities.