Honey Bee in all it’s glory. © Jonathon Stephenson for milk. magazine.
On the very top floor of The Holburne Museum, tucked away in the Wirth Gallery, a beautifully fragile paper cutting entitled ‘Honey Bee’ can be spotted. Golden and intricate, this paper cutting by Japanese artist Nahoko Kojima appears to be floating in mid-air. Strategically lit, its shadow is projected onto the walls surrounding it, enlarging and softening its splendour.
© Lee Bristol. Original via Flickr / Creative Commons Attributions Sharealike License
Nahoko Kojima was born in Japan in 1981 and has been practising paper cutting since the age of five. Her creations are made from a single sheet of paper and are meticulously crafted by hand. She moved from Tokyo to London in 2005 and held her first London exhibition in 2007 with the collection ‘The Five Senses’ at the Epicurean Lounge.
By 2012, Kojima had her own studio and was cutting professionally. A previous piece ‘Cloud Leopard’, had been chosen by the Crafts Council to exhibit in the Saatchi Gallery. Speaking to The Holburne about her work, Kojima says: ‘Every time I like to face new challenges and make pieces that the viewer can enjoy and something that makes them smile. This exhibition is very dear to me as it facilitates the process of the development of my art.’
‘Honey Bee’ in detail. © Jonathon Stephenson for milk. magazine
‘Honey Bee’ in detail.
Kojima’s ‘Honey Bee’ piece was created specifically to tie in with the temporary ‘Gold’ exhibition from the Royal Collection that is currently showing at The Holburne. ‘Gold’ features fifty items ranging from the Early Bronze Age to the twentieth century. The stand-out piece of the exhibition has to be the stunning Indian tiger head at the centre of the gallery.
Both ‘Gold’ and ‘Honey Bee’ in partnership with Bath Spa University are at The Holburne until the 24th of January – so be sure to get down there soon and see the golden wonders for yourself. ‘Honey Bee’ is a free entry exhibition at The Holburne, and if you flash your Bath Spa student card you can get into ‘Gold’ for free too!
Send us your pictures of ‘Honey Bee’ after your visit for a chance to be featured on our Twitter @MilkBathSpa. For more information on The Holburne and the exhibtion, visit the artist’s page here.
