Combat : Manual for daily survival 2003-
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Original works
Combat: Manual for daily survival, 16 X22 CM - 92 X120CM , I.D. photograph, transferred manually on printed textiles stretched on canvas, unique piece, 2003-2007 , Most pieces are sold and in private collections
Combat: Manual for Daily Survival is an evolving interdisciplinary project that examines personal identities in social environments—both physical and psychological. Initially developed by me as a subject, the project encourages others to reflect on daily challenges by representing their hand gestures, tools of survival. It begins with a photography-based performance through an ID photo booth, where participants use hand gestures to symbolize survival tools.
The ID portraits are scanned and transformed into graphic black-and-white images, highlighting the tension between individual identity and the social environment. These images are manually transferred onto commercially printed textiles, creating unique pieces that symbolize the physical and psychological social environment.
At its core, Combat: Manual for Daily Survival explores how survival is shaped by the relationship between personal identities and social environments. Through photography, performance, and participatory elements, the project engages the audience as active contributors in creating a collective survival manual.
Video
The Combat video is my first attempt at video making, created with my 3-year-old son. It explores our connection through hand gestures and both English and Japanese. The second part highlights the eye as a bridge to life and conveys the idea of patience, symbolized by the concept of sitting on a rock for 10 years.
Projection & Exhibition
Combat in progress February 2008 - January 2009, Workshop, art education, art classes 2009-present
Combat in Progress began with a series of 108 portraits created through a happening at my local city hall, involving people from my Paris neighborhood. In this series, I used textiles primarily sourced from the area, making the project less about my own aesthetic choices and more about what I could find, alongside the responses gathered through short interviews.
The final work was exhibited during the Nuit Blanche 2008 on a 4m x 3m screen in the courtyard of Paris' 3rd City Hall, and the original pieces were also shown at the MAC Créteil later that year.
Subsequently, I organized additional Combat sessions at various locations, including a high school in France and in Hawai'i, sometimes with over 125 students participating in workshops. Combat has also been incorporated into art education programs and workshops for students in France and the UK.
Video for the projection
Combat in Progress was created for the outdoor 4m x 3m screen during Nuit Blanche 2008. The video features 108 participants, using three languages—French, Japanese, and English—to describe daily actions. It showcases different stages of the work, including color photographs, black and white graphic images, and the final transfer onto textiles. This work was projected throughout the night in the courtyard of Paris' 3rd City Hall, offering a dynamic, immersive experience for viewers.
Exhibition
Combat: Manual for daily survival, Exhibition & Installation at Mac ( Maison des Arts au Creteil ), Cretail, France, quotation, original work, video, November 2008-January 2009
Combat was displayed in various exhibitions, with the largest solo show taking place at the MAC Créteil. The exhibition occupied multiple floors of the art center, with each space thoughtfully curated. I included quotations from thinkers like Camus, Bergman, and others, which connected to the underlying themes of the project, deepening its exploration of human resilience.
If you are intersted in Educational projects linked to Combat