Arko

Based in Tokyo, Arko describes herself as a “straw artist” who has applied her creative approach to traditional craftsmanship since 2002. She uses natural materials and ancestral techniques to reintroduce fading customs into modern life. She was a finalist for the LOEWE Craft Prize in 2018.

Arko’s artworks are made from bundles of rice straw. Rice straw is the vegetative part of the rice plant that is separated from the grains and dried after harvest. As a byproduct of rice, straw has traditionally been used efficiently in various forms across East and South Asia, where rice is a staple food. In Japan, straw has played an important role in daily life—not only as an agricultural product, but also as a raw material for traditional Japanese straw sandals, straw coats, blankets, food packaging, and carrying bags. Or rather, it should be said that straw used to play an important role in Japanese life, as its use has now become limited. Today, straw craftsmanship is mainly used to create a straw festoon called “Shimenawa,” a sacred ornament for New Year ceremonies in the Shinto tradition in Japan. It is typically hung at the entrance for two weeks during the year-end and New Year period.

Thus, rice straw has almost disappeared from modern life, especially in cities. But this does not mean that people no longer live on rice. In fact, the more rice is cultivated, the more straw is produced. It is clear that Japanese food culture is originally rooted in rice cultivation, which has shaped a set of customs, habits, and national characteristics. Therefore, the artist began to confront straw in order to search for the heart of ethnic identity. Until now, straw had commonly been braided to create objects. She began to think that something new was needed beyond old traditions, given that there must be a reason why straw had disappeared from our lives.

She then decided to take a new approach by sewing raw straw instead of braiding it, treating each strand as if it were a line in a drawing. The artwork may sometimes sag slightly or release a natural fragrance as it becomes very humid or dry depending on the seasons. It is a precious moment to feel that each straw was once a rice plant—in other words, a living being. Today, many products made from artificial materials, or produced under the pretext of environmental contamination, are manufactured and discarded on a large scale as alternatives to straw. This artwork is not related to ritual creation, but it may evoke a sense of natural providence and affirm the power of natural life forms—often overlooked in today’s commerce-oriented society.