Noriko Tomita

‘When the Wind Blows’ (2026) by Noriko Tomita presents two site-responsive fibre textile installations that combine Australian native plant materials with Japanese cultural and spiritual traditions. Titled ‘In Sanctuary’ and ‘Out Of the Blue’ both works explore the presence of wind and a connection to the Japanese belief, “Yaoyorozu no Kami”, the possibility that spirits or divinity reside within all things in the universe.

‘In Sanctuary’ reveals a threshold inspired by the traditional Japanese noren curtain and fūrin. Furin are glass wind bells associated with seasonal change and the perceptible presence of wind, often found at the entrance of Japanese temples. During her residency, Noriko Tomita recognised a resemblance between the fūrin and the honkey nuts of the Marri tree. By suspending strings of Marri nuts between trees in the manner of a noren, the installation becomes activated by wind, creating a shifting and contemplative spatial encounter.

‘Out of the Blue’, emerged from close observation of the bushland surrounding The Farm. Within a grove of trees that resembled the warp and weft of woven fabric, Noriko was drawn to the detail found in fallen leaves. Emphasising the uniqueness of each leaf she painted one side sky blue and arranged them on the forest floor. As the wind lifts and turns the leaves, flashes of blue appear and disappear among the natural colours, creating a constantly shifting textile surface. Through this intervention, the colour of the sky is brought down to the ground and wind becomes an active collaborator in the work.

‍