By Hope Imaka – EMTV Online
Decorating children’s classrooms has taken a whole new step in creativity. Yusuke Asai is a Japanese artist that has been creating mud murals since 2008. Unable to afford to attend college, he took a different route and turned to the Earth itself.
In Sujata Village, India, Asai enlivened classrooms with his murals made entirely from mud, sand and dirt. The intricately detailed art work covers every single inch of the walls and ceiling, that’s bound to spark up children’s imagination of the limitless possibilities; their bit of Fantasia in what is more or less an isolated village.
Asai has also created mud murals in another school in the village of Maharashtra, India. This time with a sky blue background, the nature themed mural was created using the mud, dirt and sand found in the village; their own earth to decorate their space of learning.
The murals in Asai’s art are purely that of the moment, he doesn’t decide on a story or meaning before commencing his painting. Imagery of figures and creatures are born – everything has a role.
As for his choice of painting material he said “I choose to use the earth as a medium because I can find dirt anywhere in the world and do not need special materials. Dirt is by nature very different than materials sold in art stores! Seeds grow in it and it is home to many insects and microorganisms. It is a “living” medium.”
Yusuke Asai has had solo exhibitions at the Aomori Contemporary Art Centre (2012) and Art Center Ongoing, Tokyo (2011), and his work has been represented at many other art galleries.
