Statement
Since 2021, I have been exploring the theme of a “world without translation.”
I believe that the classifications and definitions humans develop—such as language and social constructs, created for various benefits—do not exactly equate to the realities they represent. We frequently find ourselves in a state of translation. When we try to convey interactions or sensations that only make sense within certain dialects or close-knit circles to a third party, part of the original meaning inevitably slips away.
For example, simply calling someone “mother” in a family cannot encompass the entirety of that person’s multifaceted life and roles. In the same way, no single word can fully capture an individual’s existence. These points illustrate that facts and beings do not fit neatly into some kind of box.
Even if we stand in the same place and view the same scenery, biological factors prevent us from perceiving identical colors or retaining the same memories of time. Sharing the same time and place does not enable us to become the same or to fully share our experiences.
Despite this inherent “unshareability,” how do living beings connect?
My starting point arose from the idea that by removing the “translations” and “filters” of language and society, thereby allowing things themselves to be revealed, new possibilities might emerge.
I seek answers in what cannot be spoken, adding to silence. I consider that existence itself lacks boundaries and includes intangible aspects. Through mixed media and two-dimensional works, I portray the elements—memories, emotions, time, and being—that undeniably exist yet cannot be adequately conveyed through words.
When these works are “thawed” within each viewer, returning them to their original phenomena, I believe they may inspire a communication without outlines—that is, one free from translation. In this ever-changing era, the act of “seeing in a world without translation” could grant us fresh perspectives and, with those perspectives, new choices.
Artistic Intent (Detailed Description of Technique)
I believe that the true essence of what I depict is inherently “massless.” Yet I, as the observer, am an embodied being with mass, and perception itself arises through the body. In seeking a way to portray existence as it is—without enclosing it in definitions or “translations”—I set out to let the immaterial essence and my material body coexist on a single surface.
First, I sketch digitally and then output that image via Giclée or equivalent printing. Digital imagery is composed solely of light and numerical data; it has no tactile quality or weight. To me, this printed layer symbolizes the “massless essence.” Next, I layer acrylic paint, oil pastel, and oil paint on top of it. As my body intervenes—through brush pressure, drying time, even the scent of the paint—the surface acquires weight and resistance, bearing traces akin to breath and heartbeat. The transformation from pixel to ink to paint thus mirrors the journey of abstract information crystallizing into concrete matter via my body.
When the uniform smoothness of the print meets the irregularity of brushstrokes, the final image retains a fluctuation that eludes symbolic capture—embodying both the formless image and the tangible sensation. Viewers’ eyes first follow the smooth printed surface, then their fingertips trace the paint’s thickness and abrasion. I believe this dual tactile encounter “defrosts” the image on a pre-verbal level, evoking a dialogue unmediated by translation.
By making visible the interplay between immaterial essence and material body, my work stands as “an attempt to share what cannot be fully shared.” The technique is not merely a means but a bridge that links sensations beyond mass, embodying the very question that drives my practice.
CV
Aida Asa is a Tokyo-based artist whose work explores the theme of a “world without translation.” She has participated in numerous exhibitions both domestically and internationally, including NordArt 2025 in Germany and her solo exhibition Suika and Cosmos, Reversed and Replayed in Tokyo. Her practice expands beyond canvas, as seen in her original collaborative rug design for Support Surface (2024), and her self-published visual journal the day (2024).
Solo Exhibition
2024 —
Suika and Cosmos, Reversed and Replayed / Gallery Territory, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
Group Exhibitions
2025 —
NordArt 2025 / Germany Independent Tokyo Special Award
2024 —
SICF25（SICF official site）
2023 — Group Exhibition / Galerie Shimon Ginza（Sold Out）
Tokyo Gen-ten / Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Auction / Galerie Shimon（Sold Out）
Gen-ten (Associate Member Recommendation) / National Art Center, Tokyo
2022 — Tokyo Gen-ten / Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Gen-ten / National Art Center, Tokyo
Selected for
100 Artists 10（Sold Out）
2021 — Tokyo Gen-ten / Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Achievements
2024 —
CITYSCAPE: Original rug artwork in collaboration with fashion brand
Support Surface
(Support Surface Store)
Publications
2024 —
the day（Official Store）
