Yin in Shadow: Nen 念
by Ai Yamamoto
During late autumn afternoons, my kitchen wall becomes a showcase of shadow images. I film them sometimes, because I love how shade moves around and transforms different images.
I have been making a lot of mirrored videos over the last few years. Once you create videos with mirrored positions, they become abstract and interesting. I had this shadow video (from my kitchen wall) and once I mirrored it, I began to see many faces in this video. Shadow movements from leaves become alive too.
My understanding of Buddhism is shallow, so I won't be able to explain the details, but I found some meditative feelings in this video. I had this Buddhist chanting recording of my father which I was hoping to use one day, and I thought the time had come for this. This work is super personal to me. I grew up with my father's Buddhist chanting—nenbutsu 念仏—and it's a part of Yamamoto ancestry.
I also had recordings of a singing bowl. I have added some humming sounds, and I have also used my son's voice—so there are three generations in this work.
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The theme 'mirror' is my favourite one. Yin and yang is similar to the mirror. Shadow is yin, so I call this work Yin in Shadow.
Many of my recent works are about time and place, shown through different styles of music: experimental, ambient, electronica. Where I grew up and used to live in Japan, there were distinct seasons. The sense of seasons brings an awareness of where I've been, and when. It is a mapping process and I consider these works a sound diary. 🪞
Ai Yamamoto’s music practise centres around sonic exploration and melodies. She sources sounds from her surroundings—including insects, machines, animals, kitchen equipment—as well as instruments like piano, strings, and so on.
Ai’s compositional process involves extensive sample and pitch manipulation combined with various effects and textural manipulation, resulting in ambient, experimental, soundscape and atmospheric pieces. Some of her pieces are specifically composed to match visuals such as animations, video installations or short films. They are dark, emotional, ambient and happy, depending on the theme.
Ai also makes video works for her music; those works have been shown as a part of Melbourne International Arts Festival (2018) and toured internationally. Many of her works have been exhibited at various galleries.