Making Waves

Making Waves is a project with pupils of Coventry schools and the Japanese artist Hiroko Imada to create a giant wave at the Coventry Cathedral together. As a starting point Imada creates an installation work representing ‘Waves’ at The Wave Coventry, then then pupils see it and are inspired by and make Japanese woodblock prints. Then Imada sets up another “Waves" installation at the Coventry Cathedral and together with the pupils add their prints on to it to create a giant Wave.
All events supported by Awagami Factory, Tokushima, Japan.

Date: 9 June - 3 July
Event sub title: Hiroko Imada installation work inspired by Waves at The Lobby of The Wave Coventry
Venue: The Wave Coventry, NEW UNION ST, COVENTRY, CV1 2PS
Tel: 02476 252 500
E-mail: WAVERECEPTION@CVLIFE.CO.UK

Originally inspired by the whirlpool of Naruto, Tokushima, Japan, Imada decided to create an installation work by using papers from the same region: Awagami Factory to express its movement to celebrate newly built The Wave
Coventry that coincidentally has giant spiral water sliders. The Coventry school pupils plan to visit the site to get inspiration for their wave prints on 15 & 16 June.

Date: 15 & 16 June
Event sub title: Japanese Woodblock Printmaking workshop for Howes
Venue: Primary School and Earlsdon Primary School, Coventry at Howes Primary School and Earlsdon Primary School, Coventry

40 pupils create Japanese woodblock prints inspired by ‘Waves’. Prior to the workshop, they visit the installation exhibition of Hiroko Imada at The Wave Coventry. Hiroko is also the teacher of the workshops. More prints will be produced later by the pupils using blocks created at the workshops and they will be used to create a huge interactive installation at Coventry Cathedral later in the month.

Date: 30 June - 3 July
Event sub title: Making Waves at The Coventry Cathedral
Venue: Coventry Cathedral, 1 Hill Top, Coventry CV1 5AB, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 24 7652 1200

The paper installation inspired by ‘Waves’ by Hiroko Imada is installed on 30 June then together with the pupils who created prints, Hiroko will add on their prints to the main installation on 1 July. The finished interactive installation work is on public display on 2 & 3 July.

About the artist: Hiroko Imada

Born in Tokyo, Hiroko Imada studied at the Tokyo Zokei University and later at the Slade School of Fine Art (University College London). She has exhibited throughout Europe and Japan, and a number of her exhibitions have been
featured at Japan-related events and in the official magazine of the Embassy of Japan. Her solo exhibition in 2013 at the Riverside Studios Gallery in London, for example, was part of the ‘Japan 400’ event which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Japanese-British relations.

In 2017, Imada created a giant paper wave interactive installation work in the Great Court of the British Museum as a part of the 'Hokusai, beyond the Great Wave’ exhibition official event - Hokusai: Making Waves. After this successful event, she decided to produce a continuity of images in different formats. Inspired by Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave’, she presented her own approach to waves. Her unique abstract style is very bold and dynamic yet evocative and delicate, seeking to stimulate and broaden the viewer's imagination. She has been invited to create an interactive installation at the Coventry Cathedral in 2021 to celebrate the opening of the new Japanese Peace Garden in Coventry. This will also be a continuation of the ‘Waves’ images. Her next solo exhibition is scheduled at the Sway Gallery London in November 2021. Imada also specialises in teaching Japanese woodblock printing and established courses in it at the British Museum and the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, and has been teaching at both organisations regularly since then.