Bound by Ksenia Antonenko

The sculpture depicts the portrait of a contemporary shibari artist, Marie Sauvage, bound. Shibari, or kinbaku as it’s known in Japan, derives from the Japanese ancient martial art hojojutsu, which practices the incarceration of prisoners. Japanese arts fall under the philosophy of the Zen practice, in which mindfulness of aesthetics is a form of meditation. Over the centuries, kinbaku has evolved from solely a martial art, to a meditation of manipulating and honoring the human body with decorative rope. The internet has proliferated the popularity of shibari in the last twenty years, creating many enthusiasts who enjoy the artistic, meditative and sensual benefits of this practice.