Q: Please introduce yourself

A: I’m Masako Shogaki, a Japanese artist replicating classic art research techniques in order to research the types of expression seen in Japanese and Asian art. I first came across replication at the Kyoto City University of Arts where I was majoring in Japanese painting. I was completely hooked by it, and still am to this day. But I’m not only interested in Japanese art, but Asian art as a whole. Recently, I’ve been looking into buddhist art from central Asia and the silk road.

Q: What would you like visitors to pay attention to?

A: I’m motivated by the thought that these artists’ works are still cherished to this day. Regardless of how banged up they get or how discolored they get, what the artist intended to depict is still right there, and you can tell how much love they put into their work. It’s really quite beautiful. I believe that encountering these kinds of beautiful artworks is a continuation of the time spent to protect the piece, to have its story told, and its effect on others. It also helps to pass on the meaning behind it, the technique used to paint it, and the tools used to do so. Seeing them in good condition shows how much the person keeping it treasured it. As visitors look through the works, I’d like them to think about the images, scriptures, and words that are conveyed.

Q: What brought you to make these works?

A: The landscape Buddhist mural below is of the Shalu monastery in Tibet. It’s a depiction of Gautama Buddha before he became Buddha. Ever since I laid eyes on it, I wanted to draw it, but I didn’t have enough materials to do so. It took me twelve years to get everything ready and go back to paint. The Horyu-ji wall painting was unfortunately lost in a fire, so the original no longer exists. My replication uses a photograph taken in 1938 as a reference. Since you can’t exactly move wall art, I went there with the hopes of being able to depict it in person with my own hands.

Q: Is there anything you want to convey through your works?

A: The piece below is a buddhist wall mural from 14th century Tibet, while the above piece is a wall mural from 8th century Japan. Though those times are a far, distant memory from present day, you can still feel the thoughts and feelings in each piece. I really feel how much Japan has grown by learning and incorporating many different aspects from other cultures. As such, when I go to different Asian cultures, though I feel some similarities, I also try to focus on the differences, which I try to incorporate into my own life. I hope that when you’ll keep an open mind so that your heart will be moved by a variety of things.

Q: Was there anything you focused on in your works?

A: There’s a technique called “tracing” where you use Japanese paper, washi, to carefully observe the original and faithfully draw the original. Both of these wall paintings were made so that they looked like they were done on washi. Though most people think the replication process is essentially just tracing, I would disagree. You really need to understand what makes the work beautiful to replicate it, so I try to play around with different kinds of materials to do just that.

Q: Aside from the wall art, you also have some others. Could you provide some insight into them as well?

A: I think that replication is being able to capture the essence of the original, but sometimes for convenience, I only do parts of the original. Though it may not be the full piece, I still strive to capture the artistic sense of the creator while doing my best with my own skill to recreate their techniques. I’m sure that’s what people in the past did as well, so this is a way to pay my respect and keep the tradition going.

Scriptures, iconographies, and the such have been passed around almost like batons in a track relay. As plain and simple as this may sound, I don’t think it’s actually that easy. It all heavily depends on the will of the people at the time whether or not they will continue passing the baton. This kind of weakness is something I wanted to portray in these works.

Masako Shogaki
“Multiple Baton Passes”
2024

Top: “Bhaiṣajyarāja” Wall painting in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple, copy of the first wall painting “Shakyamuni Pure Land” with Bodhisattva on the side.
2003
Kozo paper, Japanese painting materials (mineral pigments, earth pigments, natural dyes, etc.)

Bottom: Mural painting No. 68 of the first floor corridor of Shalu monastery in Tibet.
2015
Kozo paper, Japanese painting materials (mineral pigments, earth pigments, natural dyes, etc.)

Mobile: “A History of Baton Passes”
2024
Sketch paper, ink, round sticks, bamboo strips, wire rope