The artist MIDORI has been captivated by the charm of living creatures since childhood, continuously depicting their forms. Her works embody the meaning of the kanji character "翠" (Midori)—abundance, life, and regeneration. Deeply resonating with the beauty of living beings, she expresses their vitality and delicate elegance in her art.
Additionally, "翠" also refers to jade, a stone that has been cherished for its beauty and used as an ornament and symbol of authority in Japan since the Jomon period. This deep reverence for Japan’s ancient natural aesthetics forms the core of MIDORI’s creative philosophy, subtly breathing life into each of her works.
On the other hand, Japan's traditional metalcraft, known for its fusion of ornamental elegance and functionality, has long enriched the history of Japanese art.
MIDORI’s work, infused with a contemporary perspective, stands at the intersection of tradition and modernity, art and industry, stillness and movement—a space where the past and future meet.
MIDORI's works are inspired by the beauty of life and nature, blending traditional Japanese sensibilities with cutting-edge technology. Her pieces are crafted using stainless steel, a material that combines durability and aesthetic elegance, processed with Japan’s advanced techniques. Through meticulous surface treatments, she maximizes the texture and character of metal, bringing her artistic vision to life.
While stainless steel is often perceived as an inorganic material, it is in fact derived from the Earth's minerals, such as nickel and chromium. Much of Japan’s nickel supply comes from New Caledonia, making stainless steel an integral part of the Earth's grand cycle. MIDORI’s creations, born from natural elements and exceptional craftsmanship, capture both the power and fragility of nature, evoking a deep emotional response in viewers.
The Phoenix has long been revered in Eastern tradition as a sacred bird symbolizing harmony, peace, and prosperity. Unlike the Western Phoenix, which is often associated with rebirth and resurrection, the Eastern Phoenix is said to consist of two beings: the male "Feng" and the female "Huang". Together, they form the complete Phoenix, representing unity, balance, and the flourishing of life. MIDORI's first work portrayed only the Feng. A solitary figure soaring toward an unseen future, it embodied the courage to challenge the unknown and the limitless potential of the human spirit. In this new work, A Love 13.8 Billion Years in the Making, Feng and Huang are finally reunited. The universe was born approximately 13.8 billion years ago. Since that moment, stars have formed and faded, worlds have emerged, and life has evolved through countless generations. Across this immeasurable span of time, innumerable coincidences have intertwined to create a single encounter.
MIDORI sees this meeting not as chance, but as an inevitability woven into the very fabric of the universe since its beginning.
Feng and Huang are more than male and female.
They embody yin and yang.
Past and future.
Reason and intuition.
Strength and compassion.
They symbolize the beauty that emerges when differences are embraced, harmonized, and transformed into new creation.
Through the enduring medium of metal, MIDORI seeks to express the vitality, warmth, and interconnectedness of life itself. The work invites viewers to reflect on universal questions: What is love? What is life? And what invisible threads connect us across time and space?
A Love 13.8 Billion Years in the Making is a celebration of life's extraordinary journey—and a tribute to every meaningful encounter that shapes our existence.
"Feng"
"Huang"
Born in 1988, Midori Taniguchi was first captivated by the unique luster of stainless steel at her grandfather’s precision metalworking factory. At the same time, she developed a fascination for the beauty of nature and living creatures, honing her observational skills as a means of artistic expression.
She pursued formal art education in high school and later studied under product designer Maki Yoshida, refining both her technical and artistic abilities. Mastering the skill of translating her visions into metal, she embarked on her journey of creating stainless steel art. Her works, centered around the theme “Eternal Brilliance of Life”, fuse her artistic sensibilities with Japan’s precision metalworking technology, forming a unique artistic world.
In recent years, she has expanded her collaborations, working with renowned painter Yoshitaka Amano, known for designing characters for globally popular video games, and the prestigious Lladró Japan, a world-famous porcelain brand.
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