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Show name "Uzume" is the goddess of performing arts that appears in Japanese mythology and is also the oldest dancer in Japan. In the myth [of the sun goddess], the gods decided to work out a way to bring the goddess Amaterasu out of her hiding in a cave [the Cave of Heaven]. Uzume, goddess of the arts, danced an enthusiastic dance to lure the hidden Amaterasu out of the cave, creating a lively air and safely inviting Amaterasu to the outside and she succeeded. In that mythical episode, I was fascinated and inspired by her unique solution to things that combined her dynamic, wild and feminine intellect.
[The maidens in my work] are fictional characters I made up, but like Uzume, they portray everyday scenes of women who are searching for their own solutions and pondering. Japan, where I live, has a culture that emphasizes cooperation. It is called "wa" (和 English: harmony). Of course, there are many aspects of "wa", but from an early age, women in particular live in an atmosphere that favors cooperation and obedience. Growing up in that environment, I am strongly attracted to the anger, strength, and hidden wildness of women, and I express that hidden wildness as a new form of intellect.
