I am surrounded by an army of black paper ants, which appear to be picking away pieces of Manami Hayasaki’s intricate cutout scenes. Amongst fairytale trees sprouting sinister hands as roots, wary-looking animals, dragonflies and feisty stag beeles, the ants scatter across the gallery walls carrying off their loot.
Project B (2009)
Innocent Garden (2009)
Hayasaki clearly has incredible patience and a surgeon’s steady hand. The result of her painstaking work is a fantasy wonderland of shapes and shadows, brothers Grimm scenes and Wunderkammer natural history specimens currently on show at Long & Ryle gallery near the Tate Britain.
I am particularly tickled by the dot-to-dot birdcage full of gothic castle keys, also falling prey to the thieving ants. But the brightly-coloured frames used for many of the pieces slightly let the work down, not measuring up to the quality of Manami’s scalplled delights. A shame but not enough to spoil the show, which is well worth a visit.
Manami Hayasaki Innocent Garden runs until 16th Oct
Long & Ryle
4 John Islip Street, London
www.longandryle.com
www.manamihayasaki.com
Words: Tamsin van Essen
Images: Long & Ryle
Project B (2009)