Masako Miki’s Garden of Wandering Spirits
What happens when the ordinary becomes a little more magical? At the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, artist Masako Miki invites us to look at our surroundings through a different lens in The Garden of Wandering Spirits(opens in new tab). Drawing from Shinto animism and Japanese folklore, Miki brings the mythical world of Yōkai, supernatural beings believed to inhabit everyday objects and elements of nature, to life through playful felted-wool sculptures and watercolor paintings.
Miki’s immersive installation transforms the gallery into a Japanese-inspired interior that opens onto an imagined garden, creating an environment that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Her colorful, shapeshifting figures blur the boundaries between the natural and the manmade, encouraging us to consider how the spaces and objects around us can hold stories, memories and meaning. It’s a wonderful reminder that art can change how we experience a space.
For design, that idea is especially inspiring. The most memorable environments often give guests something unexpected to discover, whether through whimsical artwork, thoughtful storytelling, tactile materials or a connection to nature. Miki’s work encourages us to look beyond the purely decorative and consider how art can bring a little more curiosity, personality and imagination into the spaces we create while abstractly exploring contemporary culture. If you’re in the area, join Masako Miki at her lecture on cultural mythologies and The Garden of Wandering Spirits.(opens in new tab), and be sure to see her work in person at the Savannah College of Art and Design(opens in new tab).
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Images included in this article are presented for editorial and informational purposes in connection with commentary on art trends, recent installations, materials, and creative approaches relevant to hospitality and commercial interiors.
