Chisato Minamimura, creator of The Lost Golden Lotus, answers a few questions ahead of her exhibition at Tara Theatre for Liberty 2025.
Please tell us briefly about your project, and the inspiration behind it?
The Lost Golden Lotus is a new immersive performance art film installation that reimagines the haunting legacy of China’s foot binding tradition. Blending film, scent, taste, and vibrotactile sound, it invites audiences to enter a world shaped by beauty and pain.
What should people expect if they come along?
The audience will be invited into an immersive and profound experience, where movement, language, and imagery created from and intertwined with a Deaf. It is not merely about “observing” what beauty is but about sharing a moment to feel and reflect together.
Why is it important for disabled voices to be spotlighted? And how does disability inform your art?
Disabled voices bring unique perspectives that challenge mainstream narratives. By spotlighting them, we create space for authenticity and diversity. My disability informs my art by shaping the way I approach the body, presence, and silence, it allows me to transform limitation into creative possibility.
How did you get involved in Liberty 2025?
I became involved through an open call process. Liberty’s vision of celebrating disability-led creativity resonated with me, and I felt it was the right platform to share The Lost Golden Lotus with a wider audience.
Do you have a connection to Wandsworth? And if so, what makes Wandsworth special?
Yes, I am connected to Wandsworth through my artistic practice and community engagement. In particular, I have been greatly supported by Battersea Arts Centre, which has played an important role in my journey.
What are you up to next?
The new immersive performance art and video installation The Lost Golden Lotus is scheduled to be presented in Shanghai this December. Looking ahead, I hope to expand it into both a UK and international tour. At the same time, I am also developing new projects shaped through a Deaf perspective.
The Lost Golden Lotus: Trailer
The Lost Golden Lotus is a digital performance installation which explores the cultural history of Mrs. Alicia Little and her campaign against foot binding in China.
Together, artists Chisato Minamimura (UK) and Alice Hu Xiaoshu (China) make use of sign language to raise awareness of female diversity and inclusiveness globally, while drawing parallels between the historical suppression of language and the suppression of women’s rights.
Thanks to an Unlimited International Open Award 2024 commission made possible thanks to funding from the British Council.
