Exhibition: Healing prayers

I am delighted to share my upcoming exhibition, Healing Prayers. This body of work represents years of creativity, resilience, and a deep belief in the power of art to nurture healing and human connection.

A significant source of inspiration for this exhibition is Momigami, an ancestral Japanese paper craft originating in rural Japan and now relatively little known, even within its country of origin. Through the repeated processes of crumpling, kneading, softening, and transforming paper, Momigami embodies resilience, adaptation, and renewal—qualities that resonate deeply with the themes explored throughout my work.

Healing Prayers explores creativity, healing, self-expression, and recovery. The exhibition is deeply personal, drawing upon my own experience of the restorative power of art. During a difficult period in my life, when I was confined to bed and unable to move freely, creative practice became a source of comfort and strength. It helped me process emotions, sustain hope, and reconnect with myself.

During those long, quiet hours, the repetitive process of kneading paper through Momigami became a source of reflection, resilience, and hope. In many ways, it became a daily prayer, a means of expressing pain, finding strength, and nurturing creativity throughout my recovery.

Photo by: Yoneko Shiraishi

Through Healing Prayers, I hope to share this journey with others and to shine a light on art's capacity to support healing and wellbeing. Above all, I hope the exhibition offers a sense of hope, encouragement, and connection to everyone who encounters it.

Exhibition Details

Artist: Yoneko Shiraishi
Venue: Phoenix Art Space, 10–14 Waterloo Place, Brighton, BN2 9NB
Admission: £2 (includes entry tothe Brighton Art Fair)

We are delighted to announce that Healing Prayers has been included in the Embassy of Japan in the UK's annual Event Calendar. It is a tremendous honour to have this exhibition recognised as part of the cultural exchange between Japan and the United Kingdom. We are deeply grateful to the Embassy for their support and look forward to welcoming visitors to experience Healing Prayers, an exhibition exploring healing, memory, and the transformative power of art.

You can find the exhibition listed on the Embassy's official Event Calendar.