Multi-disciplinary artist Sayuri Sasaki Hemann brings underwater jellyfish worlds to the surface in this ongoing project entitled Urban Aquarium. Growing up, the artist and her family relocated many times between Japan, Australia, and Romania. Often feeling displaced within these new environments and new languages, Hemann says “I naturally found refuge in using my hands and making art.”
In her adult life, Hemann continues to investigate these feelings of being out of context and displaced in life. Specifically, she draws on a fascination with sea life, recreating floating jellyfish aquariums where you might least expect them and in front of a public eye. Urban Aquarium consists of a variety of installations and Underwater Flight, located in Portland International Airport, is just one of the many located across the city of Portland, Oregon.
The artist enjoys using a diverse range of medium and she says, “I am most inspired by the way light reflects on each medium, threads and fibers, everchanging underwater sea creatures, and vivid colors of life.” These animals are made out of colored organza and are suspended from the ceiling to create a wild interpretation of a jellyfish world. As travelers quickly zip by to catch a flight, they will be unexpectedly greeted by a sea of floating creatures.
All Images by The Weaver House
Sayuri Sasaki Hemann's website
via [My Darkened Eyes]
