21_21 Design Sight

This is where everything started: 21_21 Design Sight.

My favorite architect of all time is Tadao Ando, and 21_21 Design Sight was the first of his architectural works that I ever visited. Mr. Ando is renowned for creating a harmonious interplay of light, space, and shadow through concrete. To this day, I vividly remember the moment I passed through the admission hall of the museum. There’s a hallway leading to a downward staircase that takes you to the main museum area. On the right side of the staircase is a massive floor-to-ceiling window, invisible from the outside. When light poured through that window, time seemed to stop—my breath, my heart, the entire world. It was pure peace coursing through my body. Though the museum isn't spacious in the conventional sense, the light and shadow in this space break through the limitations of its small square footage.

It all began here: after visiting 21_21 Design Sight, I decided to pursue my love for architecture in someway or another, despite not being able to become an architect myself. This embroidery piece was my very first thread painting in my main project. I had only been practicing embroidery for a year at the time. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best I could do, and it will forever hold a special place in my heart. This is where it all starts.