This month's Six with Seedlip features interdisciplinary artist Aya Rodriguez-Izumi, who worked with landscape designer Lily Kwong to create a beautiful ecosystem at Seedlip's first US General Store.
I. What made the project at The General Store unique from others you’ve worked on?
I was brought onto this collaborative project by Lily Kwong, and what really intrigued me about this project was the space— the work was to be set in a 25x25 foot glass cube. We really wanted to create a piece that gave a unique experience from outside and inside that evoked the narrative of Seedlip and celebrated aspects of their story. It really came together in a spectacular way.
II. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
A lot of inspiration comes from my Okinawan, Puerto Rican and Cuban background and a research into the history of those islands. I gravitate towards actions of ritual, both casual and divine, while seeking out local communities and underrepresented narratives.
III. What’s the most rewarding part of the process and why?
It has to be when the public interacts with the work. With each installation, I’m always inspired by how people engage and interpret the piece, I learn a lot about the work from witnessing how visitors activate it.
IV. Four people you could invite to your dinner party, dead or alive, who would they be?
The first person ever born, the last person to ever live, anyone from the government who knows if aliens exist and RuPaul.
V. How do you connect with nature?
Recently it’s been mostly through my work. My research has led me to visit sacred sites, remote islands and natural landscapes from oceans to caves. Whenever I’m in such surroundings, I practice being present and try to pay attention to the characteristic of the space and witness the location.
VI. Resolutions for 2020?
Watch more movies.
FOLLOW: AYA RODRIGUEZ-IZUMI @iamaya