Timeless Knot Project : She Sets Her Heart Ablaze
- Quote from`FRARE' N°42 -
She is Chisho Takaoka (1896 – 1994), called Teruha. She is known internationally as the "Nine-Fingered Geisha”, who became a Buddhist nun later in life.
She was born at a time when women's freedom and rights were completely nonexistent. At the age of 12, her father sold her into slavery, and at 14, her virginity was bought and taken as a privilege by a chairperson of a stock exchange transaction as the first customer. She attempted suicide, cut her pinky with a razor for a lover, lost her younger brother, married, divorced, moved to the US, London, and Paris, gave birth, starred in movies, remarried, wrote, later became a nun, rebuilt a temples… and died in 1994 at the age of 98. Her life has been written about in a novel by Jakucho Setouchi.
She was born at a time when women's freedom and rights were completely nonexistent. At the age of 12, her father sold her into slavery, and at 14, her virginity was bought and taken as a privilege by a chairperson of a stock exchange transaction as the first customer. She attempted suicide, cut her pinky with a razor for a lover, lost her younger brother, married, divorced, moved to the US, London, and Paris, gave birth, starred in movies, remarried, wrote, later became a nun, rebuilt a temples… and died in 1994 at the age of 98. Her life has been written about in a novel by Jakucho Setouchi.
After learning about her life, I felt as if I could see her set her rage and sadness ablaze, and surviving with loneliness, emptiness, and love. As I stitched, I told her that we still have to shout the obvious: "My body is My choice". I also told her that I was truly disgusted and terrified that women's bodies are still controlled and that society still tolerates and desires it. Where is my body, my womb, and everything that is supposed to be mine? She said nothing. She just let me stitch mindlessly and led me to this image. My hands are killing me. Knot is back.
- Part 1: She Blooms Once Again / N°1- N°9 / Date : SS2021
- Part 2: She Drowns In The Air / N°10- 13, 16, 20 / Date : SS2021
- Part 3: Towards Heaven / N°14, 15 / Date : SS2021
- Part 4: She Sets Her Heart Ablaze / Date : SS2022
- Episode 0: She Sets Her Heart Ablaze
“Flare”, N°42
"Dignity", N°43
"Secret Garden", N°44
‘One Last Embrace’, N°52
‘Love Is In The Air’, N°57
‘Inspiration’, N°64
