IKU HARADA < Inner Space >
For 15 years, Iku Harada has woven the fabric of a virtual world using 3D modeling software. She has etched the nature of her birthplace, where she came into the world and grew, onto the canvas of virtual space. The artist, who crafts fragments of memory into maps, has, in a role of God within this world, meticulously created their own realm, 'Inner Space'. It means her utopia, a virtual world rooted in reality.The concept of 'Inner Space' takes on the form of an island floating upon the sea, where the sea is colored in blue and the land is represented as a green plane symbolizing meadows. Atop this canvas, sculptures of nature, homes, landmark architectures, and more find their places. Furthermore, she has breathed life into the virtual realm by implementing light and shadow, infusing it with vitality. The artist, who once wandered through her computer-generated world of imagination, has transformed the landscapes within into two-dimensional paintings and three-dimensional sculptures, manifesting them into reality. Harada is engaged in a creative endeavor where computer-generated virtual space and the physical world overlap and intertwine. Her artworks are not only an attempt to materialize virtual reality spaces but also a reflection of spatial motifs from the real world into the virtual realm, ultimately enabling viewers to traverse between both worlds. Her artworks, where multiple dimensions of space overlap, resonate with us who spend a significant amount of time in virtual spaces, evoking empathy.
IKU HARADA