Hitomi Asaka
Biography
Hitomi Asaka is currently pursuing design research within the MA Contemporary Design Programme at Aalto University. After gaining diverse experiences across various industries, she chose to embrace her creative journey. As a multidisciplinary artist, she focuses on the beauty and values of life, often drawing inspiration from the subtleties of nature and cultural diversity.
Photo credit: Hitomi Asaka
Ceramemories
2024-2025
3cm - 25cm (Varies within animal sculptures)
Clay made from animal ash
Ceramemories is a material exploration and a series of ceramic works created from the ashes of animals that passed away in an animal shelter. This research began with a question: what is the purpose of the presence of ash within an urn? Through this inquiry, the project evolved into a conversation about our material relationships, the sustainability of funerary and ceramic practices, spirituality, and the perceptions of life and death.
How do we engage with or perceive these works by working with a material that once held life? Can the use of ashes, otherwise discarded due to a lack of ownership, serve as a way to honor these lives? Or does it disrupt the natural cycle of return? And how might this reflection extend to human mortality and funeral practices?
This research seeks to open a dialogue about death, taboo, cultural perceptions, and ultimately, the meaning of life itself.
