Ten Thousand Teardrops is an exploration of love, loss, and the delicate connections that hold us together. Using handmade pineapple fibre paper, cotton thread, and other fragile materials, I created an installation of twenty-four rings suspended from three connected twigs. Each ring’s worn, perforated surface suggests sadness and quiet, fading beauty.

The work is inspired by the Greek myth of Ariadne—a young princess who, guided by her heart, gave up everything for love. She helped her enemy’s son escape the labyrinth with a red string, only to be left behind, watching his ship disappear.

In Japanese folklore, the red string of fate also symbolizes invisible bonds that connect us beyond logic. I hope viewers find beauty in fragility, meaning in imperfection, and feel the silent threads that connect us all.