Minako Hayashi collects fragments from daily life that strike a chord with her—sun-faded old paper, plant seeds, and more—and transforms them into captivating collages. Her exhibition, “Tsubu-Tsubu Kenkyujo g Bunshitsu ~? is a Treasure~,” is now open at the Granvista Gallery Sapporo. We invite you to explore the quiet yet profound charm of her artistic world, which unearths the memories and presences slumbering in our everyday lives.

The display at the entrance. The collected plants, preserved in glass bottles, are beautiful.

Under the name “Researcher H of the Tsubu-Tsubu Kenkyujo (Granule Research Institute),” Minako Hayashi collects and studies “granules” that drift between the everyday and the extraordinary (the world of imagination). For her, these “granules” are the various fragments and elementary particles that resonate with her, serving as “keys or tickets that allow me to travel freely through the worlds I imagine.” The “Tsubu-Tsubu Kenkyujo g Bunshitsu (g Branch Office)” is where she can fully enjoy this research.

Items collected by Researcher H, such as dream diaries and scrapbooks, are on display (Photo: Seiji Yamagishi).

Plant seeds, fossils found on the beach, various scraps of paper, records of dreams, mysterious stories... Visitors to this exhibition will first be captivated by the beautiful presence of the modest fragments collected by “Researcher H” (including kindness received from others). “At the root of my collection and research is something like a prayer to preserve good things, like sun-faded paper that has captured the passage of time and the richness of nature's blessings,” says Hayashi.

“Mr. H's Greenhouse” (Photo: Seiji Yamagishi)

The collage works lining the walls are perhaps the heart of her research. It is a fresh surprise to see how ordinary fragments like scraps of paper, thread, and old photographs are layered to create a wonderful world that you could gaze at forever. The collage works are something you should definitely take your time to appreciate at the venue.

“Paper Room” Box created by Yukio Kishimoto of Zoofactory (Photo: Seiji Yamagishi)

“I love old things that hold memories of someone's life, things that have been cherished and passed down through generations. I want to give form to the images and presences of things that already existed, like items left forgotten on display in a small back-alley shop,” she explains.

“Street Corner Collage,” created from fragments collected while drifting between the everyday and the extraordinary.

“I have this image that everyone has their own small laboratory inside them, where they conduct research and experiments every day. I would be happy if my research could spark a chemical reaction with someone else's spirit of inquiry, leading to the birth of something new,” says Hayashi. This exhibition is a great opportunity to rediscover the wonderful fragments you might have overlooked in your daily life, and it's also fun to think about what it is that you love and research yourself.

The Granvista Gallery is only open on weekdays, so if you're thinking, “I can't go because of work...”, Hayashi will be holding a two-person exhibition at Gallery Inukai from June 3rd to 14th. Be sure to check the Tsubu-Tsubu Kenkyujo's Instagram for more information.