As part of Reframe Perspective: Stories In Motion

Residuals (住み・墨), choreographed and performed by Shion Skye Carter, draws visual, sonic, and physical influences from Japanese calligraphy, integrated with dynamic choreography to reinterpret the traditional form through a contemporary lens. Calligraphy brush strokes inform Carter’s movement as they dance among hundreds of sheets of translucent paper, channeling moments and impressions from their childhood, while the lighting design evokes an abstracted memory of their Japanese grandparents’ rural home where many of the artist’s memories of domestic life and cultural rituals originate. These memories, alongside an investigation of fragmented feelings of “home” across continents, spark a journey of introspective self-discovery where the layers of her identity begin to unfurl.

The work’s title holds a double meaning:

住み /sumi/ = to reside in a place

墨 /sumi/ = ink

What Is the Inspiration For Your Piece?

“One of the most compelling sequences features Carter channeling memories, impressions, and moments from her grandparents’ house in rural Japan through her body; watch her squat and inhale an invisible cigarette.

Who we have met, where we have been, and what we remember make us what we are. Calligraphy is meant to be a pure expression of our souls and spirit, and in a way that is difficult to articulate in words, [Carter] shows us complex inner layers of herself—without ever being literal. The piece is also really cool to watch, with its parchment-coloured light and distinct visual language.” – Stir Magazine

Approximate or Estimated Duration:
35 minutes

Warnings or Content Advisories:
Haze.

Artist Credits (Whole Team Involved):

Creation/performance: Shion Skye Carter
Lighting design: Andie Lloyd
Stage Manager: Agnes Hui
Composer: Stefan Nazarevich
Creative Consultant: Ziyian Kwan
Video projection design: Colin Williscroft
Dramaturg: Tomoyo Yamada
Costume design: Hannah Sofia Eriksson
Calligraphy mentor: Yoko Murakami
Prop design: Matthew Wylie

 

Special thanks:

Thank you to the organizations and funders whose support has made past and current iterations of this project possible: the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award, Powell Street Festival Society with support from Canadian Heritage, Odd Meridian Arts’s sponsorship through City of Vancouver Cultural Services, Canada Council for the Arts, the National Association of Japanese Canadians, Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society, and plastic orchid factory.