Face

 

The human is always the center of my interest. 

Particularly, their faces fascinate me the most. 

I see their desires in their faces. 

People see each other in the faces.

But the faces are usually seen only from a distance or beyond obstacles. 

Some see the other’s face even through a window frame. 

After all, one can barely see the other’s face or sometimes not at all.

This is at least what a face is for me. 

However, I feel that we should not get rid of all the distances and obstacles, rather they are important things for seeing the faces.

If you get too close or remove all the obstacles in between, it may help to see the faces beyond them more clearly. 

But I think that all you see in their faces turn to what you wish to see alone.

This might be related to the way we think about relationships.

Or, perhaps, my work resembles this way of thinking about relationships.

I sometimes get the impression that I hurt others or even invade them by looking in the faces too close and direct.

But at the same time, I find myself frustrated not being able to find anything clear to me in their faces in a distance.

At other times, looking at the faces beyond obstacles, I wish that they could answer me more.

After giving up all the desires, all left behind are plain trajectories of the line of my sight, as well as the faces that I couldn't see.

​

 

 

Mana Yamaguchi, June 2018

for the artist book Face of neighbor [works in Germany 2013-2017]