Japan’s Living Treasure highlighted by Japan-born Indian Saakhi Singh
She created a documentary on a famous Japanese ceramic artist Masahiro Maeda, and it was supposed to be screened in the Olympic village in Tokyo. But due to Covid-19, the screening was canceled.
TOKYO: The recently concluded Olympics in Japan shone a light on a plethora of star athletes. However, it also unveiled the traditional arts and culture that Japan has to offer.
An Indian born and raised in Japan Saakhi Singh created a documentary intended to highlight one of the many talents of Japan: Masahiro Maeda, a ceramics artisan who is considered to be a National Living Treasure.
Masahiro Maeda was scheduled to have an exhibition held at the Kanagawa Prefectural Hall in Japan, as one of the cultural events organized by the Olympic Organizing Committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The third-year undergraduate student in Media Production at Northeastern University, Boston, Saakhi Singh’s documentary, Maeda San’s World of Ceramics, was to be shown at one of the exhibitions. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, the exhibition was canceled and information was instead uploaded online. Her creation can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/494375027
“Through this short documentary, we gain insight into Maeda’s creative process and his philosophical outlook towards his art. Having practiced his craft for over 50 years, Maeda has chiseled and developed his technique to the point of mastery. Interestingly, in the documentary we learn that Maeda’s favorite part of the process is what he cannot control,” said Saakhi Singh.
“The kiln controls your journey in pottery. You can’t do anything until you fire it and just because it comes out right this time doesn’t mean you can make the same thing again. That’s the interesting thing about kilns…the results are not the same every time.”
Recognizing Maeda’s unique story, Saakhi reached out to Maeda in the hopes of capturing his talent in a short documentary.
With Maeda’s approval for her work, Saakhi was needless to say was very happy.
As she said, “I was thrilled at the chance to work with Maeda san. He’s such a well-respected figure in the arts, so the fact that he accepted my offer to document his work was extremely humbling.”
Saakhi was able to capture Maeda and his craft in an impactful way. The five-minute short film manages to pull the viewer into Maeda’s work and conveys the depth of his philosophy in an effortlessly subtle manner.
As a media studies student, Saakhi has always seen potential in media and the power it holds. Actually media skills flow in her blood.
Her father Gurmit Singh who was born and brought up in Delhi moved to Japan in 1992. Her mother Amrita Singh, worked with the Indian Express newspaper. She moved to Japan with her husband.
Amrita Singh is now a freelance writer and editor, specializing in travel and lifestyle articles, which are published in Indian Express, Fukuoka Now, and Gaijin Pot.
Saakhi’s younger sister Seher Singh is pursuing Economics Honours at the University of Toronto, Canada.
“Being an Indian born and raised in Japan, I understood from a very early stage how media can connect people through storytelling. I strive to produce media that can introduce audiences to unique perspectives,” said the beaming Saakhi.
Since working with Maeda, Saakhi has continued to seek new opportunities to develop her storytelling skills and work with inspiring individuals like Maeda.
