The work of Makiko Furuichi is infused with color, as she delights in watercolor outpourings. Her motifs, cast onto the surface without premeditation, appear almost hesitantly, then linger or flow without ever settling. These enigmatic presences maintain their ambiguity. Her world drifts between two realms: on one side, an alluring, shimmering palette; on the other, shadows that hint at unease. This uncertain atmosphere, oscillating between abstraction and unease, corresponds to the feeling known in Japanese as Niyari. The ambiance—radiant, serene, or stormy—can shift unexpectedly, at the turn of an incisive detail or a darkened tone.
The artist draws inspiration for her imagery and characters from childhood memories in Kanazawa, from manga, Western painting, and her present life in France. Nature takes center stage in her work—teeming, animated, populated with strange creatures, malevolent demons, or mischievous spirits straight from Japanese folklore. Nothing is ever fixed or imposed in her free and fluid approach to evoking and playing with images. Everything is suggested, in delicate strokes, through intuition and subtle allusions, carried by a liquid, aqueous medium that seems to drift with the currents.
Makiko Furuichi translates her floating, ghostly universe into small formats—on the pages of a book, a magazine, or a theater program—but also on a grand scale. She masterfully embraces the spirit of the most unexpected places: she has decorated a hotel room, created a stage curtain, engraved an abbey bell, and painted a fresco in a troglodytic cellar. This time, she will take over the 17th-century attic of the museum, where her hybrid, dreamlike world will take on maritime overtones in resonance with the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe.
Access to this exhibition is restricted for security reasons.
Opening hours: 11 AM to 1 PM (weekends and school holidays) and 3 PM to 5 PM.
