Faith in Jizō is deeply rooted in Kyoto. Jizō figures can be found throughout the city. Some bear a degree of carving, while others are simple forms, almost like natural stones. Time may have worn many of them down, yet the very act of continuing to worship them as they are also suggests a Japanese animistic sensibility. Each of these small figures seems to possess a distinct soul, and is loved by the people of its neighborhood. In being loved, that soul grows still more vivid.
Looking at the squares lined up on the wall of my studio, I thought—presumptuous as it may sound—that I wanted them to exist like Jizō. With that wish in mind, I put colors into the squares.
