“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
- Christopher Robin Milne to Winnie the Pooh
"For years I have believed in the spirit of resilience. The harder we get hit, the braver, stronger, and smarter we become. Three things have become important landmarks in my life: the piano is a reminder of my memories and the harmony that comes from it. The cactus is a symbol of strength. The pig is a metaphor for human society.
The piano connects me to life. Everyone keeps a “memory” related object within themselves: a house, a book, a tree, a photo, a chair, music or even perfume. For me, it is my grandfather’s piano, always next to me in my studio, which drives me to work hard. Whenever life is playing big, I tend to turn to my piano. The memories of waking up are lulled by my grandfather's melodies.
The cactus is a rough and beautiful plant. It became like a symbol of being resilient since my stay in Arizona, one of the big cactus lands. Thick skin and thorn leaves protect it from animals. Its root system collects water very efficiently and let it survive in extreme conditions. Although its water requirements are minimal, these plants release love and inspire respect. The contrast between the thorns and the beauty of its flowers is very inspiring. When I was tired, I used to lie down in the desert and draw energy from the strength of the numerous cacti.
In most cultures, pigs are sometimes a subject of derision and abuse, sometimes intelligent and communicative animals. Human beings confine and manipulate them to suit our own needs. What are the differences between them and our integrated lives in a manipulative society? The pig, my zodiac sign, is the animal that I think is questioning our animality the best. Interestingly, in Japan, we always say “Year of Boar » instead of pig … which made me start thinking about living like a boar or pig in our society?
In the end, the health crisis has hit us hard. This is a very hard weight to bear on our human shoulders. However, don't we get stronger and smarter as we go through life's trials? Let us remember that we need to have more creativity to feel that we are still connected. We are still standing. We are still growing. We are still crying and smiling together.”
- Takashi Hara
