OIZUMI YUMERIA ART PROJECT

RE-BIRTH: Message from the Sky
Oizumi Gakuen area was once graced by a spring-fed pond, where the Shirako River, rice paddies, sluice gates, and water wheels crafted a unique aquatic landscape. Here, the local community flourished, cultivating a distinctive and vibrant culture amid the abundant blessings of water. Sadly, today, traces of this past have faded from view. This artwork embodies the intricate cycle of water and life, illustrating rainwater’s return to the earth to nurture plants and sustain forest life. Our aim is for passersby to reflect on the profound cycles of nature—spanning past, present, and future—and the broader environmental interconnectedness encompassing personal surroundings, Earth, and the universe. We hope this awareness fosters a sensitivity towards caring for water, greenery, and humanity. At its heart stands a bronze sculpture of an ancient cherry tree, crafted from a real deceased specimen, filled with charcoal, and inverted. At its base, a young cherry tree now thrives. The bronze and charcoal synergistically purify water, transforming polluted rainwater into clean nourishment as it passes through roots, trunk, and branches, nurturing future generations of cherry trees. The original cherry tree was generously donated by Oita Prefectural Ohno High School, which closed its doors in March 2002, symbolizing renewal and continuity through this poignant artwork.