Art, which began with painting and sculpture, primarily appeals to the visual senses, and viewers are often drawn to its visual splendor, technical skill, and accessibility. However, Noriko Ambe, who set herself apart from this tradition, discovered the expressive value of art in the depths of consciousness, beyond the reach of the eye.

Among Ambe’s representative works is the “A Piece of Flat Globe” series, created by cutting white paper and layering hundreds of sheets. With its delicate and beautiful layers that captivate the viewer, this work—true to its name, meaning “a fragment of the earth”—evokes the strata of the earth formed over unimaginably long periods of time, incorporating sand, stones, and at times even decaying plants and animal remains. Its form is the result of the accumulation of Abe’s freehand cutting motions.

Born in New York, where Ambe was based, this series captivated local art enthusiasts. It likely resonated with the sensibilities of people living on the American continent, home to vast natural landscapes epitomized by the Grand Canyon.

The keyword for these works is “time.” They embody the passage of time—both that of the cut paper and that of Ambe herself as she made the cuts. It could also be described as the time Ambe spent engaging with the paper. Ambe named this her “Cutting Project” and has continued it for over 20 years.

Ambe’s cutting lines exist as boundaries between the real world and another world brought into being by the act of creation. The moment we become aware of those lines while viewing the work, we drift away from reality and are drawn into—and then cast out of—the world Ambe has created. Although it is a world we should not know, we are filled with a nostalgic feeling, as if we have seen it somewhere before. Like archaeologists who have wandered into a parallel world, we will attempt to unearth memories from the layers of time.

The philosopher Kant posited that time and space are a priori elements of human sensibility, but Ambe attempts to visualize that time and space through her cutting technique.

In the spring of 2022, the “Noriko Ambe Exhibition in the Room — The Profile of Eroshenko” was held at the Nakamuraya Salon Art Museum.

Here, Ambe caused countless raindrops to fall onto a long roll of paper.

In this work, titled *Tracking through the Curtain*, countless dots have been cut out by Ambe’s hand. This resembles the trajectory of her cutting project, yet it also feels like the trajectory of the artist’s life.

Past, present, and future. If we liken the roll of paper to life, the dots etched upon it represent the emotions and memories experienced over the course of a person’s life—from birth and growth to eventual aging and passing. The emotions people feel as they live are not always pleasant; at times, they are painful or heartbreaking. If so, each dot that has fallen away from this canvas could be seen as a fragment of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. Furthermore, they represent things we have consciously discarded over time, or perhaps things that slipped away against our will.

Here we see Ambe engaging in cutting from a perspective distinct from that of “A Piece of Flat Globe.”

How beautiful are the paths Ambe has traced through her cutting, and the light that leaks through the cut-out dots.

And it continues on.