OPEN ECO: Kaoru Shibuta, Symphony (2026)

Ji-kú: Inhaling the Cosmos merges Norio Kajiki’s solar photography with Kaoru Shibuta’s synesthetic painting, addressing the climate crisis through cosmic interconnectivity. Inspired by the Taoist practice of absorbing pure solar energy (Qi) rather than consuming resources, the work reimagines human survival as direct resonance with the biosphere. Kajiki’s captured sunlight, printed on tactile paper and layered with Shibuta’s sound-transmuted pigments, visualizes Earth’s atmospheric symphony—where matter, cellular life, and celestial vibrations converge. Photography here becomes a vital instrument of ecological awareness, inviting viewers to quiet consumption, perceive environmental fragility, and inhale the universe as one living organism.

Kaoru Shibuta (b. 1980, Hokkaido; based in Kagawa, Japan) translates sensory resonance and natural environments into visual art through synesthesia, where sound manifests as colour and movement. He studied at Pan Make-up School (2000) and Kanebo Make-up Institute (2003). His practice encompasses large-scale murals and site-specific residencies, including a public mural at the University of Cyprus. Shibuta has exhibited extensively worldwide, notably at the Venice Art Biennale (2024, 2026), Cappadocia Biennale (2026), Larnaca Biennale (2025), and London Art Biennale (2021, 2023). Honors include the Grand Prize at the JK-G Competition (Seoul) and recognition at the Arte Laguna Prize (Venice).

Japan
@shibuta777