LEVEL 1, TEA ROOM & MEZZANINE
MAKIKO RYUJIN
JAPAN, BORN 1982
LIVES AND WORKS IN MELBOURNE
MICHAEL GITTINGS
AUSTRALIA, BORN 1989
LIVES AND WORKS IN MELBOURNE
PROJECT
Saṃsāra 2020 is a lighting installation designed by Makiko Ryujin and Michael Gittings. The two-part work takes the form of a large blossoming tree and separate hanging canopy to embody the cyclical nature of our existence. The tree rises floor-to-ceiling from a textured steel trunk and opens into a canopy of branches fabricated by Gittings, which embrace the walls and ceiling of the Mezzanine Gallery at NGV International. A series of charred timber light shades, hand turned and then burned by Ryujin, appear as a constellation of iridescent blooms. The shades are punctuated at the centre by soft, warm light from a hand-blown glass bulb and a rich blush of gold leaf.
Saṃsāra continues the designers’ exploration into themes of transience, brevity and perpetual change, which emerged in their 2019 collaboration Impermanence. Transitioning from bud to full bloom, then declining to its frail state before it drops, the blossom captures a lifetime in a year. In this time of global uncertainty, their latest collaboration is nature writ small, encouraging us to reflect upon the cycles of life within and around us.
ABOUT
Makiko Ryujin is a wood turner and photographer who completed a Bachelor of Photography at RMIT in Melbourne. In late 2014 she started studying woodwork part-time with her mentor Carl Lutz. By mid 2016 Ryujin was focusing on developing her craft as a commercial practice. Her wood turning work calls heavily upon her childhood in Japan. The sacredness and form of the bowls within Japanese culture inform the proportions and design of the objects Ryujin creates.
Michael Gittings is a trained roofer with refined skills in metalworking. He produced his first furniture designs, a series of copper chairs made from plumbing pipes, in 2016. The Caulfield Chair (2016) has since become a signature production piece selling through Michael Gittings Studio. Gittings has since dedicated more time to producing design works while still operating his roofing business. He has exhibited in design exhibitions around Australia and his work has been published nationally and internationally.
The NGV warmly thanks Triennial Major Supporters Karen McLeod Adair & Anthony Adair for their support.