The idea that underlies Kariya's works is truly unique and, in a sense, complex. "The theme of my work is writing (recording), its process and its image. / The theme of this work is living (engraving), its process and its image." The act of writing (recording) refers to copying the sutras in Buddhism. He calls his work 'sutra.' "'Sutra' means in Sanskrit thread or string, and it means strings that are used to bind papers written with teachings of life." Copying the sutras is a memorial service for the dead and an offering of prayer or wishes. While its purpose is to pass on the sutra from generation to generation, it is more meaningful in making the mind of copier and his surrounding environment more peaceful. That the conduct copying is more important than the result of the copied text itself, seems contradictory to us.
Here, writing is living and an act becomes a prayer.
Yasushi Kurabayashi "What is 'Open System'? - To Identify It With Artists' Works"
( "Mito Annual '94 Open System" Exhibition Catalogue, P. 67)
