Kirie Art: From the Glass Corridor to Home

Want to make Kirie art at home? Artist Hyakkimaru’s live demonstration at Family Adventure Day got the audience excited about our new exhibition that will be on display in the Glass Corridor from now until Sept. 15. As the weeks go on, Hyakkimaru will add to the figures already on display — so visit again and again.

We’ve laid out the steps of Hyakkimaru’s demonstration. You can easily do this at home — great for a family activity. Or, you could take a hands-on workshop with the artist himself at the Bemis School of Art.

Supplies:
Pencil
White paper
Black paper
X-Acto Knife
Masking tape
Tracing Paper (optional)

Step 1

Express your idea for preliminary drawings. Sketch with pencil on white paper that is laid over black paper. If you want to preserve the design, then go over it with tracing paper. Construction paper will do for an at-home rendition of kirie.

Hyakkimaru with his flip-up glasses. There are two lenses — one is normal prescription, the other is a magnified lens to draw detail.

Step 2

Remove the white paper using knife, such as an X-Acto Knife. Children can use scissors for simpler designs. Make sure you cut deep enough to not only remove the design from the paper, but also see the cut-outs on the bottom sheet of black paper. This is where the masking tape would come in handy to keep the white and black pieces of paper consistent. Don’t worry if you can’t cut as fast as Hyakkimaru!

Step 5

Remove white paper to reveal the black paper cut out. If you did not cut deep enough, to tear the black paper our cleanly, then use the slight lines created by cutting out the white paper to guide a re-cutting of the black paper.

Step 6
Share the love with your friends! Revisit Hyakkimaru as he works in the Glass Corridor: “Since I will be doing these demonstrations for free, come again and bring your friends, I promise that I will improve as I adjust to this place and find my inspiration.”

Audience members were excited
to get their picture taken with Hyakkimaru
and his recently completed work.

Hyakkimaru’s Kirie World
July 28, 2012–Sept. 15, 2012