A god hidden in papers.
Shiva's lucky ears
A straight gaze.

When you open the "Fukumimi" hidden in the sky on page 15, you will be startled to see Shiva with a third eye on his forehead peering out at you. Shiva, who is one of the most influential gods in Hinduism alongside Brahma and Vishnu, is the god of destruction. He seems to be watching over the rotten, torn and discarded pieces of paper that appear in this book.

The expression of Shiva peeking out from an unexpected place seems almost deliberate. It is likely that Fumio Tachibana, who does the binding himself, would not have adjusted the binding process to intentionally create the lucky ears. Am I the only one who feels that this small stroke of good fortune, the lucky ears, enhances this book even more?

This book is a reportage of the letters, receipts, old newspapers, flyers, and other "papers" that artist Fumio Tachibana collected during his visits to India. Limited to 700 copies, it is also the first publication of BURNER BROS., which was founded by Fumio Tachibana and his brother, sculptor and theater director Hidehisa Tachibana. The photographs were taken by Yasuhide Hisaie, and vividly depict the memories of the trip and pay homage to India.

The main text is made of thin coated paper with a mixture of sewn-in and folded-over pages, and the unique texture and rhythm make this binding very Tachibana-like. The stickers and binding tape are offset from the printed parts, making the book seem natural and relaxed, which is a mystery. In Tachibana's hands, the paper and binding all blend together perfectly, creating a unique and unpretentious binding style. Furthermore, the envelope tucked into the book contains a printed collage, a device that shows Tachibana's stylish sense of playfulness.

Fumio Tachibana
Born in Hiroshima in 1968. Artist. His works are mainly based on themes such as letters, paper, prints, and books. Raised in a family that ran a bookbinding business, he seeks new forms of expression through the act of "gathering" and "connecting" inspired by paper and printed matter. Since the 2000s, he has expanded his work across fields such as letterpress printing, photography, and bronze sculpture, and has created the medium "Sphere" which he edits himself, while also holding exhibitions at museums and galleries as an artist. His latest photo collection is "Under the Umbrella." He is participating in the "Sagacho Exhibit Space 1983-2000" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Gunma until December 13, 2020.

BURNER BROS.
A publishing company established in 1998 by artist Fumio Tachibana and his brother Hidehisa Tachibana, a sculptor and stage director. They are particularly particular about the "materiality" and "presence" of printed matter and books themselves. Although the books they produce are small in number, they pursue extremely high quality in everything from design to paper and bookbinding, and their unique appeal lies in their expression that transcends the boundaries between art and publishing. In the same year as "Kaminari," they published "Kaminari" (limited to 700 copies).