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On July 11, 1991, the world was excited to witness the century's last total eclipse of the sun. We were standing by the Kilauea Crater in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. The hill, which was about 200 meters long and 500 meters wide, had been softened into a gentle slope from the many repeated eruptions. This hill was the stage where seven artists from Japan, Korea and the U.S. gathered to create a live performance in celebration of the spectacular eclipse. The audience was now gathering around us. As the musicians started to cry out and play, the wind carried their voices and the extraordinarily clear sounds of the Noh Ko-Tsuzumi drum, shakuhachi, and O-Tsuzumi drum from the top of the hill. Inspired by the sounds, I held a big, 1-meter long brush directly in front of me and started to descend the hill with calm, strong steps. I walked toward five pure white canvases of 5 x 5 meters that were placed at intervals against the backdrop of the deep black hill. As I called out within myself, "Great Nature, Answer me!" I painted the character "Earth" with all my might on the first canvas. I painted the five characters: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Sky. Sound of Origin, Sound of Five Elements, Song in Praise of Earth, Song of the Earth. After many more eruptions, this place has been transformed again. The wind continues to blow through the empty, vast space. |
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