My sister passed away from a brain tumor when she was 24,” says Motoi Yamamoto. “That was my origin.” The word ‘origin’ is a reoccurring word in the Japanese artist’s vocabulary. He uses it to refer to the moment in time he began creating his labyrinthine installations of poured salt, as if he had been reborn.
We think of salt primarily as a cooking ingredient but in Japan it’s an element of the Shinto tradition that symbolizes purification. And for the last several years Yamamoto has traveled the world creating sprawling installations of poured salt that resemble mazes, tree roots, whirlpools or the universe. Figuratively and literally one can easily get lost in the intricate installations that are the result of hours of meticulous pouring.