Artist Statement:
People make us happy but also angry and disappointed. People are curious but also foolish. We never seem to learn, despite knowing deep down that we’ve taken others for granted and knowing that we shouldn’t have. ​

​Mayumi’s work deals with our emotions, relationships and everyday-life and incidents with a twist and a hint of humour. Why doesn’t humanity learn from mistakes of the past? Why is it that we create things of beauty but we also destroy them? Why is humanity so “wonderful”? She plays with these questions and creates ceramic sculpture inspired by what we do, what we are and how we live. ​

​She aims to create a fusion between man-made and natural forms and objects in her interpretation of humanity. By adding tiny human figures to these forms, Mayumi’s work offers a unique perspective on humanity:​

​​‘Without the small figures, my work might be just an object but as soon as I put teeny tiny people onto the piece, it starts to tell a story itself. I enjoy playing with it and have been fascinated with how the tiny thing affects whole piece.’ ​

​Mayumi’s work is narrative but doesn’t always tell the whole story allowing the audience to project their emotions and ideas into the work and to interpret them in their own way.​

​‘I’m not trying to shake people’s shoulders and tell them that we should appreciate each other more. My work is nothing like as “noble” as that. I just want to see how the audience interacts with my pieces and how they make up their own stories and how they often seem to giggle. That’s all I want.’​

www.mayumi-yamashita.com