On August 20-22, Hanna Yokozawa Farquharson will be having a solo exhibition of her textile art at the Saltcoats Town Hall titled Gaia Symphony, supported by Sask Arts and the Saltcoats Historical and Museum Society. During the course of the weekend, there will be yoga sessions with Allyson Beynon as well as a meditative music performance by Jefferey Morton and Hanna.
This will be the second time that Hanna has shown her art in Saltcoats. In 2018, she featured pieces in the Quilts and Arts Displays here in Saltcoats along with her daughter as well as her friend Michelle Easton and her daughter. “I feel like Gaia Symphony is a continuation of that. One difference is that it’s a solo show. We couldn’t hold art exhibitions or performances at galleries or public places because of COVID-19 so many artists and performers didn’t have any opportunity to showcase their craft. I’m grateful for the chance to show my work here,” Hanna says.
“Because of COVID-19, everyone has spent time under many regulations. I think everyone worked hard together to live healthy. Also, during this period, I think that many people have had time to look after themselves. During that period, I think many people had time to think about what they wanted to do and how they wanted to live. When creating something, it is very important to have a quiet time to interact with yourself. I planned this show with the hope that those who want to start something new will be able to take a step forward. I also hope that the visitors will be able to have healing and pumping energy time at the hall.”
In addition to Hanna’s textile art, music and yoga will be included in the show. She reached out to Allyson Beynon, a local yoga instructor, to inquire about the possibility of doing yoga sessions as part of the show. “The music during the yoga sessions is a live performance of crystal singing bowls. I do not do yoga myself, but I think yoga connects to your own energy fields, reflects yourself, and expresses the inner world with your body. I hoped that there will be some motion in the stillness of visual art, and when I called out to Allyson, she said that she would be happy to participate. As she is an experienced yoga teacher, those who are new to yoga and those who come to see what yoga is like will be able to spend time comfortably.”
Jefferey Morton will also be contributing to the weekend in the form of music. In the fall of 2020 during Hanna’s solo art exhibition at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery in Yorkton, Jefferey also had a solo exhibition featured at the gallery and was the new director/curator. “At first glance it looked like two completely different shows, but I found a mysterious commonality in the shows,” says Hanna. “The gallery planned something like a music session and made some videos during the shows. The sound that he was creating was exactly the same as the sound that I wished for. It was around that time that I began to pay attention to the ‘sound’ more deeply than ever. In my textile art, there was a part that I couldn’t fully express, and I knew that music would make up for that. So, when I decided to perform the Crystal Singing Bowls that I have been listening to, and when I thought about who would be the best to maximize the synergistic effect of the collaboration, Jefferey was the first person I came up with.”
Hanna believes that at their core, yoga, music and visual art share universal qualities of expression. “In terms of expression, these three expression methods look different, but they are all the same. Because everything is connected. In a sense, it looks like an experimental event, but I would like you to experience the free atmosphere of sending interesting things from the small town of Saltcoats.”
“This exhibition invites the viewer to listen to the symphony played by Gaia, our planet earth. Viewing this presentation of Gaia with our eyes, we are enabled to hear the music of Gaia as if with our ears and ultimately our inner being,” Hanna says.
“This is related to a Japanese concept called 観音 (Kan-Non). Kannon means ‘See the sounds’. Kannon is a Bodhisattva who sees the sounds, listens to the voice of the universe, and conveys it to the ground.”
Hanna feels that the Crystal Singing Bowls, performed by herself, will fit together perfectly with the mood and aesthetic of her art. “When I make my textile art, I often listen to the BGM of crystal singing bowls. It’s just that the sound I wanted at this show was Crystal Singing Bowls. They have the best sound that I can seem to relate to my art. It’s very simple.”
The art of performing will be new for Hanna as she only recently began her journey with playing the Crystal Singing Bowls and will be taking the brave step of performing them for the public for the first time as part of Gaia Symphony. She is a firm believer that it is important for people to allow themselves to always expand their means of expression, despite any discomfort or fear that comes with doing so; a way of life that Hanna exemplifies. “I think it’s better to leave the barrier of doing only visual art in my case. Nobody says that I should do only textile art. If someone says it to me for some reason, I won’t accept it. This is because if you apply it to a category, you cannot freely express your potential. That can be said for everyone. Each person has doors of infinite possibilities that are about to open. It is an individual who can open it, not another person. Anxiety and fear stand in the way when you start something new. Then, do you get scared before that, or do you focus on the joy, the excitement or seeing the expanding of your own world after overcoming them? This is the choice. Because my first language is not English, when I try something, I have many barriers that most of you have not experienced. It takes a lot of time to get a solid understanding, and I often miss opportunities because I can’t say what I want to say in English. But I have decided to live my life and I will not have regrets, so if there is something I really want to do, then I will try it and then follow the natural flow. That’s all. Performing is really something I look forward to and what I want to do now.”
Hanna hopes that through the events of the weekend, people who attend the show will leave with a deeper and truer connection with themselves and the flow of energy around them as well as a renewed sense of freedom and zest for the future. “I have been doing spiritual training for about 25 years. I haven’t said it publicly until now, but now that the times have changed drastically, I can say it now. Individuals, creatures and plants all have their own unique sounds. We live while tuning the sounds, but of course there are sounds that do not match. I hope it will be an opportunity for you to tune the sound that suits you in your heart in visual art, music or yoga. I hope it will be an opportunity to remove such shackles, and I hope it will be an opportunity to remember the feelings of your childhood when you were playing around innocently.”
All of the Gaia Symphony events will be held at the hall. There will be four yoga sessions with Allyson: two on Friday, August 20 at 3:00pm and 5:30pm and two on Saturday, August 21 at 2:30pm and 5:00pm. The Meditative Music Performance by Hanna Farquharson and Jefferey Morton will be on Saturday, August 21 at 7:30pm.
Admission to the show and all events is free but donations will be accepted with all funds raised going to the Saltcoats Historical and Museum Society who will be providing the venue for the show as well as coffee and cookies for all three days. “I know so many performers and artists had to cancel all their shows and touring schedules because of COVID-19 restrictions. They have been struggling. I am so thankful that the Saltcoats Historical and Museum Society is providing the venue here and trying to help a local artist and support community activities. So thankful for their hospitality,” says Hanna.
If you are planning on attending the events, come prepared with what you need for relaxation. “Bring a yoga mat, cushions or sleeping bags, etc. so that you can be relaxed. Chairs are available at the hall too. If you are new to yoga, you can just take a look. The meditative deep listening performance is also the same, you can lie down on the floor or relax and listen on the chairs.”