Shiro Masuyama, Borderline Project

Shiro Masuyama, a Japanese artist based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, converted the interior of a used caravan into two parts—one half related to Irish culture and the other half to British culture. Many of the items, symmetrically displayed on their respective sides, have counterparts in both cultures.

Since moving to Northern Ireland in 2010, he has often been unsure about the distinctions between Irish and British culture within the complex society of the region. The project has helped him learn and understand the nuances of culture through discussions with people he has encountered who have physically entered the caravan. He has continued to develop the work by constantly adding objects and correcting/adapting the display. Over time, the caravan has transformed into a small museum of culture; however, he has struggled to maintain an equal balance between the Irish and British aspects.

As he is Japanese, he has been able to conduct the project from an outsider’s perspective and to bring a degree of neutrality to his approach—he is not religious, and he doesn’t have any political leanings.

He finds it really meaningful to show the caravan in Liverpool, which is widely known for having the strongest Irish heritage of any UK city.

Artist bio :

Shiro MASUYAMA is originally from Japan. His master’s degree in architecture has influenced his art projects, which primarily take the form of site-specific architectural interventions. Using his architectural background and his Japanese identity, he makes projects that fundamentally connect people and society— so-called socially engaged art. He believes interaction with people often brings unexpected results. It’s one of the most important processes and components in completing an artwork.

He moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland after completing international residencies at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, Ireland (2006), and Flax Art Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland (2009), and has been based there ever since. As an artist from Japan who has made their home in Northern Ireland, he is in a unique position to question how identity can be influenced by the dominant political forces surrounding us.

He has attended numerous exhibitions worldwide, including ‘BIENALSUR 2021 – The State of Things’, MACRO Museum of Contemporary Art Rosario, Argentina (2021); ‘Aichi Triennale 2013 : Awakening’, Nagoya, Japan (2013).

https://www.shiromasuyama.net/

This event is funded by Arts Council of Northern Ireland & University of Atypical

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