AMY SHINDO

WRITTEN BY NOAH RANDOLPH

In Amy Shindo’s studio, a soft pink glow emanates from a large lamp. The elegance of its design is marked by the sharp undulating surface, which betrays its material: tessellated Styrofoam cups. Designed for easy disposal and transportation, the Styrofoam cup is a familiar object that is not often considered beyond its function as a vessel. These cups were a common sight in Madoka Japanese Restaurant, the restaurant owned and run by her parents. Indeed, this was the location of her first job, folding and creating fans out of cloth napkins. Out of the repetitive motion, the process was dedicated to memory – as was each object within the space.

Shindo’s work revolves around this remembrance, creating a memoryscape of her parents’ restaurant. As a ceramicist, chef, and the child of restaurateurs, Shindo attests to the commonalities between the ceramics studios and restaurants are not lost on her, as a shared set of tools and techniques bind the two. However, Shindo’s practice does not rely upon a single medium, embracing an archival engagement with her memories of objects from her youth that focuses on rendering them in a way that highlights their significance.

As with the dreamlike luminescence of the Styrofoam lamp, the innumerable small, fanned napkins are now a monumental foam sculpture. Its surreal nature is equaled by large wooden pieces of sushi grass painted green and pink, while a monochromatic painting of a single plate from the restaurant is displayed vertically.

In this way, these memory-objects are no longer reducible to their original function but are now precious works to be appreciated and adored, imparting the value that she has always felt for them. Indeed, the lamp Shindo created is a facsimile of those created by her father of leftover cups from the restaurant, though he never acknowledged the creativity of his work. For him, like his understanding of the restaurant simply as a means of providing for the family, the lamp was just a lamp; but for Shindo, it was invaluable despite its humility. As stated by the Japanese cooking instructor Tami Hiyama, “Pots aren’t as expensive as jewels. If I make tasty meals, everyone’s happy. If I want jewels, I have all I need in the sky”

ASIAN ACTION (BEIJU)

(above)

Acrylic.

6” x 11” x 1”.

Photo credit: Bridget K. Rogers

RELATIVE BRIGHTNESS (KOJI’S KINGDOM)

(previous page)

Styrofoam cups, wire. 53” x 28” x 28”.

Installation view.

Photo credit: Bridget K. Rogers

YOU’RE A RABBIT, NOT A DRAGON (THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE)

(below)

Polystyrene napkin fan. 45” x 82” x 47.5”.

Installation view.

Photo credit: Evan Rosato

THESE MEMORY-OBJECTS ARE NO LONGER REDUCIBLE