absence of absolute: space with ‘MA’
Words & Images by Tomoyo Tsurumi
Tomoyo’s exploration celebrates the beauty found in the subtle elements of everyday spaces, highlighting how silence, echoes, and the interplay of elements reveal profound beauty. Through the text, readers are invited to pause, reflect, and find meaning in overlooked spaces, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Tomoyo embraces the poetry and possibility of everyday surroundings, exploring the Japanese concept of 'MA' (間) to invite reconsideration of perceptions and find beauty in the spaces between moments. By transcending physical representation, Tomoyo delves into the silence that permeates our spaces, fostering a deeper connection with the beauty of everyday things and encouraging audiences to embrace the dialogue between silence and materiality.
Listening to silence and echoes of elements, Reading a pause, an interval, a distance, and reflection in between. Process of collecting voice of elements in the atmosphere is subtle. In the quiet interplay between silence and echoes, floating in the elements of our environment, lies a profound exploration. Reading the pauses, intervals, and reflections between them, we uncover a subtle process of collecting the voices of the elements that shape our atmosphere. Space extends beyond its tangible and visible nature, encompassing the time and space we inhabit. Atmosphere shapes space with layered fragments of time and holds the potential for profound discovery. Within this profound nothingness, an imperceptible atmospheric quality emerges, filled with the echoes of our routines and the essence of experiences. It invites us to pause, reflect, and seek moments of connection and meaning in the overlooked spaces. Through the interweaving of voices from nature, materials, and people, space undergoes a transformative process. It becomes a dynamic entity, creating engagement and interaction with the environment in a manner that is both reciprocal and contemplative. Within this interplay of voices, space becomes a vessel, where the ordinary transcends its boundaries and unfolds into extraordinary possibilities. It allows us to immerse ourselves in the richness of the present moment, forging connections that are both personal and collective. in this way, spaces becomes a conduit for exploration. It is within this expansiveness that we discover the potential for profound revelation. Within the subtle nothingness that permeates our surroundings, an imperceptible atmospheric quality emerges, echoing our routines and experiences. It calls us to pause, reflect, and find meaning in the spaces we often overlook.
At the heart of this exploration lies the Japanese concept of 'MA' (間), a term that encompasses the significance of gaps, intervals, and pauses within the spatial experience. These elements of space, or rather the absence within space, contribute to the overall atmosphere and ambiance that transcends presence. Echoing elements create a rhythmic sensation that fosters reflection and deepens the connection with the inherent nuances and subtleties of the space. By utilizing the ambiance of space and blurring the definition of elements, it challenges the notion of physical representation and intentions. Instead, it embraces the poetry and possibility that lie within the fabric of our everyday surroundings. Through the reconstruction of the concept of ‘MA’ within the environment, this transformative process transcends its conventional perception and creates a sense of coexistence. By visualising the sense of ‘MA’, using tangible materials, it constructs a void that invites audiences into a contemplative experience. It is an absence of absolute; investigation into the silence. Through the interweaving of voices from nature, materials, and humanity, space undergoes a transformative journey. It becomes a dynamic entity, engaging with its environment in a reciprocal and contemplative manner. These spaces become vessels, transcending their ordinary boundaries to reveal extraordinary possibilities. They invite us to immerse ourselves in the richness of the present moment, forging personal and collective connections. My research into this imperceptible atmosphere leads me to experiment with materials, colors, and structures, delving deeper into texture and interaction. Through the dialogue between mundane spaces and materials, I seek to capture the essence of silence and reflection. Choosing Iceland as my destination was intuitive, driven by a desire to explore the unknown. Following Soetsu Yanagi's concept of "direct perception," I allowed myself to be guided by my immediate connection to the land and its communities. It was a poetic exploration of the subtle nuances of space, delving beyond the visible to investigate silence.
My artistic process involves engraving patterns into surfaces, interacting with the environment to create a dialogue that translates into textile patterns, using traditional textile technique, weave. This silent dialogue communicates with audiences, inviting them into a contemplative experience as they interact with the delicate patterns emerging from the fabric. In this way, my work seeks to reconstruct our lost connection to materials and spaces, encouraging active engagement with our environment. By transcending intellectual analysis and embracing the profound dialogue between silence and materiality, I invite audiences on a spatial journey that touches the heart.

Tomoyo Tsurumi is a textile designer-artist based in Tokyo and London. With her background of studying textile design, she works with textile as a medium to express and explore new textures, using both innovative and traditional techniques. She explores interaction and reaction between material, people, and space, seeking to establish a method to enhance the sensory and contemplative experience. Specializing in textile, she has been experimenting with various materials and exploring to go beyond the boundary of techniques, especially focusing on weave and its structure. Of her interest in in-between spatial context, she researches a method to compose atmospheric quality for sensory experience, manipulating context of space by intervening architectural space with fluidity of textile, activating sensorial experience with subtle phenomenon.