Lucky Cat ｜ Paul Spooner
It was produced and exhibited for the 2013 Mitsubishi Artium " Art Toys World Karakuri Toys World Exhibition".
The author, Paul Spooner, created this work with a wish for reconstruction for those who died or were damaged by the Great Tohoku Earthquake.
The reason why the beckoning cat is cracked is that after making it with pottery, it was purposely broken and remade with adhesive. Why was such a thing necessary? Many lives were lost due to the earthquake, and some shapes were destroyed, but the idea is that they will surely be revived.
However, once broken, it does not completely return to its original shape, leaving scars. By daring to leave the scars, I think that the memories of those who were affected by the earthquake should not be forgotten.
Every time the door opens and closes, the color of the beckoning cat inside changes to white, gold, red, and black. The jagged pattern on the surface of the box shows that the surface of the earth has peeled off due to the earthquake, and although the car is a steep road, it is a wish to overcome it powerfully. By the way, the letters on the door were also written by the artist himself.
