Women to Watch 2027: Irie Sayo Selected as Japan Representative
Irie Sayo has been chosen as the Japanese representative for the 2027 Women to Watch exhibition at NMWA in Washington, D.C.Summary
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C. has announced that Irie Sayo, a Kyoto‑born illustrator from Okayama Prefecture, will serve as the Japanese representative for its 2027 Women to Watch exhibition, titled "A Book Arts Revolution." Irie is renowned for her unique technique of erasing printed images with an eraser, then repurposing the eraser shavings into three‑dimensional sculptures that re‑materialise the original two‑dimensional imagery. Her work interrogates the relationship between representation and materiality, often drawing inspiration from old books, newspapers, and other archival texts. The selection was made by curator Yoshiie Kamiya of the Tokyo exhibition, who praised Irie's ability to transform erased images into vibrant, life‑like three‑dimensional forms. Irie previously exhibited "Bird Dust (Hummingbird II)" and "Indiana Bird Dust" at the 2026 Tokyo Women to Watch show, and she is slated to present her work alongside other international artists at the NMWA exhibition in April 2027.
(Source：美術手帖)