Here's the greeting message in the collection of works from 結 MUSUBU – Mother–Daughter Exhibition.
On April 6, 2001, my mother passed away peacefully as if she finished fulfilling the mission to live.
Even in the hard battle with the disease, she never whined and continued to care people around her till the end all her life.Her hobbies were flower arrangement and yokyoku, but what is left in a physical form is her ink painting that she started in her later years.
On “Obon”, when my mother is coming back again this year, it is great pleasure that I can hold Mother-Daughter Exhibition of my dream, adding my works of calligraphy to her ink paintings.
While I was organizing the works, I realized – many things connect me and my mother somewhere deep and invisible.
Mother-Daughter Exhibition has been named “結 MUSUBU”.
Most of the works are amateurish, but it is honorable if you kindly look at the proof that my mother certainly lived her life and myself struggling on the way.
August 12, 2008 Miki Otake
Despite the busy season of Obon, many people visited the exhibition. People who are deeply linked to my mother also gathered despite their advanced age.
I am profoundly grateful. To tell the truth, my memory during the period of the exhibition is vague. Although I can recall scenes in fragments, I can’t recall the flow of those six days smoothly (this is also a reason that the blog was delayed). It is clearly different from the past fatigue from the intracompany exhibition.
Again I think it was such a big project for me to exhibit my mother’s works. And I am surprised to notice many things. Everyone said, “you are filial to your mother”, and “your mother is happy". Simply I wish so – I wish my mother were happy.
Indeed what my mother left was ink paintings, but what Mother-Daughter Exhibition left was not only that. I can’t express it with words because I haven't comprehended it myself, but it appears to be homework that I will slowly solve in my life. There is much of it, just like a puzzle that will never be completed, which appears that it is my task of “musubu” (tying or knotting) to pass it on to my daughters. Mother-Daughter Exhibition has ended, but there are more things that have started from here. I feel grateful.
To everyone who has opened this blog, I'm sorry that this must be difficult to understand. It is impossible to tell something vague even for myself. I’m very sorry. But I’m glad if you sense something from my feelings.
Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to all the people for giving flowers to, extending courtesies to, and visiting Mother-Daughter Exhibition. Thank you very much.
One more thing at the very end – explanation of the invitation.
Phalaenopsis orchid blooming from the same stem is my mother (somehow there were always Phalaenopsis orchids beside her), and Casa Blanca lily is me (my favorite flower). The Casa Blanca lily has two buds. I am looking forward to seeing how these two buds bloom.
