Hiromi Tango

Born in Japan, Hiromi Tango is a Tweed Heads, New South Wales based artist who is interested in blending elements of animism, or the belief that inanimate objects are indeed conscious and living, into her performances and practice.  She also uses art as a vehicle to contribute to community and personal wellbeing.  By often inviting others to participate in her practice, Tango aims to heal and regenerate through her work. In Breaking Cycle (Lizard Tail) (2015) Tango references a lizard’s fascinating self-defensive behaviour, where it loses its tail and grows another after experiencing a threat to its life. Having collected objects donated to her by various individuals, including offerings from community members in Derby in Western Australia, Tango, and invited collaborators, have woven them into a large sculptural form to resemble a large lizard’s tail.  In her correspondence with Magic Object Curator Lisa Slade, Tango writes ‘what if we had the power of the lizard to separate parts of ourselves and leave them behind? Could we heal our trauma and regenerate our minds and hearts?’. With its magical talismans and through its cathartic creative process, Tango’s lizard tail is real and alive and is not only a metaphor for the physical act of shedding past pain and experiences but alludes to the wondrous curative properties of art.

Hiromi Tango’s work will be on display in Gallery 25 at the Art Gallery of South Australia during Magic Object.