photo by Kato Hidehiro
Ms. Sekiya’s performances incorporate her struggles as a woman, mother, and worker into words and actions that have resonated with many people across generations. In the 80’s, Ms. Sekiya participated in “Book Media Perform” organized by Seiji Shimoda, “Tsuchiyu Onsen Performance” and performance art courses, and was also influenced by the Activism at Sanya, theSalon des indépendants in Japan, the tent play “Kaze no Ryodan”, the free radio broadcasting station Radio Home Run by graduates of Tetsuo Kogawa’s seminar. Influenced by many activities, she published the mini-book “Ohanashi shimasho” . From the 1990s to the early 2000s,she published the mini-comic “Zoku Ohanashi shimasho” whici is during her single motherhood , and held the “Midwinter Tea Party” and “Dreaming Party” in which readers participated by postcard. In 2007, she participated the “NIPAF(Nippon International Performance Art Festival)” event, “Performance Art Today, NIPAF Today”organized by Seiji Shimoda, and since 2008, she has participated several times at NIPAF. Since then, she has become aware of the genre of performance art and organizes the “Street Art Study Group”. They have invited participants from many genres, including performance artists, Butoh dancers, musicians, and poets, and have held street performances around JR stations and in large parks. Past event titles have included “Daikon Radish on Asphalt,” “Night Stroll,” and “Look Far Away. Listen Nearby.” “A Spectacular View, A Spectacular View,” and “Touching.” As an extra event, a found objects exhibition and performance was also planned at Mita House. She has also participated in a play dealing with war, forced labor, poverty, and current labor issues under the name “River Crane” in the theater company “Roujin Kesshitai,” organized by and starring Otani Bantenmon. she has also recently started writing haiku under the haiku name Urushikawa Yu.
Biography: Izumi Sekiya was born in 1959 in Tokyo. She started performance after she encountered NIPAF organized by Seiji Shimoda in 2007. She has ever organized a performance art event on a street that says “ Japanese Radish on the Asphalt Road”, “Night Walk”, “Seeing Far Away and Listening Nearby”, “Great View! Great View” and “Touch”. She has invited various genre artists to do street performance around JR station or parks. Also, she has worked together with filmmakers and musicians. Her recent performance themes are “Release the Meaning of Woman From Chinese Character “女”, “My Work is Making the Garbage”, ” Self-pity to Me As a Disqualified Worker, Disqualified Mother”. She performs in the atmosphere where lyrics and body can relate to each other lively.
title：My life evidence date：31 December 2020 venue：Atelier Dai Q Geijutsu , Tokyo planner：Gan Tokuda project：New Year’s Eve Dance 43 camera：Keiichiro Murayama translation and video edited by:Seiko Kitayama
title：About A Circle date：9th July 2022 venue：ART×JAZZ M’s planner：Sekine Marou project：Ima ha Shizukani Performance Demo vol.15 camera：Hirose Masaki collaboration artists: Sekine Marlowe, Hara Makio,JUN FUUGETSU(Haiku freestyle),Yuasa Tetsuro translation and video edited by:Kitayama Seiko
title：The Song of a Lark date：31th Dec 2022 planner：Gan Tokuda venue：Atelier Dai Q Geijutsu project：Joyamai light&sound: Seiji Hayakawa promotion&camera：Keiichiro Murayama photo: Hidehiro Kato special thanks to: Naoki Takayama, Sachie Ito,Daisuke Kudo, Atelier Dai Q Geijutsu production:Four Road Production translation and video edited by: Seiko Kitayama