Hiromi Tango (Nevertheless Journal)
Georges Braque, a major 20th-century French painter, collagist, printmaker and sculptor, described art as ‘a wound turned into light.’ This is indeed an apt description of Hiromi Tango’s artistic practice. Hiromi creates spaces and experiences for not only artistic expression but for healing and transformation. Her art touches the soul in a way that is confronting, magical and profoundly engaging. She turns trauma, grief, loss, alienation, anxiety, both individual and collective, into memorable works of art. Hiromi possesses a deep, humble appreciation of life, death, and the myriad of emotional moments in between. She has collaborated with experts in science and research to explore how elements of the art-making process can contribute to positive mental wellbeing. Her practice intersects with art, health, and neuroscience, often drawing on her personal experience with anxiety and mental health challenges.
Hiromi is a contemporary, interdisciplinary Japanese-Australian artist based in Tweed Heads, northern New South Wales, Bundjalung Country, since 2014. Her work has been exhibited in regional and national galleries of Australia, as well as international exhibitions in the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific.
She was born on the island of Shikoku, the smallest of the four main islands of Japan, and describes this region as ‘a beautiful, natural environment.’ She grew up in a culture steeped in tradition and inequities. She describes her mother as ‘silent – without a voice.’ Hiromi’s observations and recollections of childhood, her personal experiences, have influenced her artistic practices and themes.
She graduated in Arts (Humanity and Culture) in 1998 from Japan’s Women’s University in Tokyo and at the age of 22 she left Japan with a ‘promise to return.’
Within eight years, she presented her first formal exhibition in Brisbane, ‘Invisible Boundaries/Rooms’ – a live, interactive installation that saw Hiromi residing at Raw Space Galleries for a period of time.
‘I was interested in exploring the social engagement through art, and used window spaces and Perspex boxes, suitcases, tent and artist books for the temporal public art spaces under Invisible Boundaries / Rooms concept. I engaged directly with the local communities I resided throughout the exhibition period, specifically with those people who occupy or frequent the site. The primary objective of this engagement was to stimulate an intimate dialogue and expression through a range of collaborative and site-responsive activities such as conversation, massage, drawing, photography, sound, video, sculpture, and performance.’
Hiromi also created Suitcase Room as a temporal public performance, moving about Brisbane inviting people into her space to collaborate.
‘The final installation consisted of an assemblage of documentation gathered throughout the several weeks period including the performances and individual and collective works. The installation was generated and refined throughout the residency period, and as a large part of the work was spontaneous - the final installation’s form and content was left unknown. My research focused on an engagement with specific communities and public.’ This was the beginning of a practice where Hiromi regularly inhabits her installations.
From here, Hiromi’s CV is as impressive as it is extensive. For almost two decades she has created solo and group exhibitions, temporal public artworks, projects for children, aged care, dementia, arts and science, arts and health. She creates for festivals and theatre/dance/circus projects, and significant public artworks including the upcoming GARDEN sculpture, the centrepiece artwork at the new Tweed Valley Hospital. Equally extensive is the list of awards, art prizes, grants and commissions Hiromi has received.
Hiromi Hotel is a creative project and concept that first appeared at the Fresh Cut exhibition, Institute of Modern Art (Brisbane) in 2009. It’s not a traditional hotel but rather a metaphoric, immersive art installation that explores themes of diversity, creativity, and community engagement, with a huge focus on reflection and human connection - ‘offering a place for visitors to rest, unpack their thoughts and feelings, and perhaps lighten their spirits along the way.’ Hiromi often collaborates with other artists and the local community to create these unique installations. They typically feature a wide variety of materials, colours, and textures to create visually striking and emotionally evocative environments. One such example was in Mons, Belgium, which involved work with refugee communities. Hiromi Hotel has been a feature of Splendour in the Grass in 2019, 2022 and concert goers checked in again this year. Hiromi took over the barn and transformed it into an installation of ‘rainbow circles, large scale projection work that brings together positivity-inducing colour, light, and movement.’ Hotel Hiromi: Rainbow Dream created a ‘rainbow bubble magic; a space for people to slow down and refocus their internal lenses in a space where the entire world is seen in rainbow-hued brilliance.’
A prolific artist, Hiromi’s body of work features many milestones and a photographic series, Insanity Magnet, 2013, is one such milestone. Motherhood for Hiromi was an profound period of conflicting emotions in the early stages: the joy and happiness of a newborn, impacted by overwhelming periods of post-natal depression. This ‘profoundly challenging condition was the impetus for several powerful and momentous performances’ including Insanity Magnet, 2013. The imagery set against the apocalyptic backdrop of Brisbane’s notorious 2009 dust storm, was emotionally transparent, shouted vulnerability and paved the way for raw conversations about mental health. As with all of Hiromi’s works, it was a platform for community engagement and artistic pathways to promote healing and peace.
Just over a year ago, an interactive exhibition that was many years in the making, opened at Wollongong Art Gallery. Healing Garden Illawarra was an abundance of rainbows, flowers and vines sourced from recycled materials from the community and elements of nature. This sensory project was a collaboration with the Art Gallery team, local artists, community groups and individuals. Hiromi’s vision brought to fruition an inclusive space for people of all walks of life and backgrounds to come together and share stories, improve well-being, and develop a deep sense of community.
Hiromi Tango is a disciplined artist of authentic truthfulness and integrity. She pushes artistic boundaries, particularly in relation to process, themes, space, and inclusiveness. Her legacy will be defined not only by her artistic achievements but also by the profound impact she had on the lives of those she connected with. The lasting memories she creates are a testament to the love and light she brings into the lives of so many.