Yumi Karasumaru, Personal Stories for a Shared History

Yumi Karasumaru has a gift. She is highly skilled in the art of telling stories and narratives, of carrying the audience away into a universe that combines the modes of expression of theatre and traditional Japanese painting within an artistic, intellectual, and entirely modern approach.

The artist, who now lives between Bologna in Italy and Kawanishi, was born in Osaka in 1958. Throughout her career, her work has been framed in terms of a desire to question the current relationship between Japanese society and its identity and history, shaken by violence, globalisation, and the lifestyle changes caused as a result.

Giving meaning back to the world

Her departure for Italy marked a turning point in her practice. ‘I was looking for a way to look at my country from far away. Moving to Italy allowed me to confront the differences in culture and mentality’, Yumi Karasumaru explains to Pen. Over the years, this distance has allowed the artist to select texts that are related in that they explore ‘the depth of human “thoughts – feelings” in many ways.’

Thus, through the different versions of her performances—Il narratore (2020), Kataribe (2019), The Four Pop Songs (2018), etc., all part of the series The Story-teller—the principle remains the same. Facing the audience, Yumi Karasumaru reads passages from texts and blends into the artwork projected onto the wall, which includes her own paintings. Here, stories create images and images give rise to other images. ‘The world is currently changing under the pandemic. To the young, I sincerely hope that facing tragedies, you who bear the future of humankind will build a peaceful world with courage and strength’, the artist continues.

Furthermore, the global coronavirus pandemic led Yumi Karasumaru to develop her practice, with a new project entitled Yumi-transformer, Life Changing Program 2020-2021. Inspired by DaiGo, a young Japanese YouTuber, mentalist, and author, Yumi Karasumaru encourages the public to work on building their mental strength and practise meditative activities, from sewing to peeling potatoes, as a means of escaping the anxiety-inducing atmosphere of our society.

The Story-teller (2010-), a series of performances by Yumi Karasumaru, can be viewed on the artist’s website.