"WA" — Hanamaro Chaki Exhibition

**"WA" **— meaning harmony, circle, dialogue and cycle in Japanese — is the title of the short film that serves as the starting point for this installation by artist Hanamaro Chaki, shown in the temporary exhibition room of Fortaleza de São João Baptista do Pico.

After premiering the short film at Casa da Cultura de Santa Cruz as part of the exhibition "Vozes do Invisível," Chaki reconfigures the project into an installation adapted to this new space. The film unfolds across a vast sea where imaginary creatures reveal the deep interconnection between all beings, expressing the circularity of life — birth, nourishment, fertility and return.

The piece combines the artist's frame-by-frame 2D animated drawings (with animator Laura Andrade) and an original score by musician Pedro Pestana, built around an ambient, sea-inspired soundscape.

Hanamaro Chaki was born in Tokyo and studied Fine Arts at the University of Brighton. She has lived on Madeira since 2015, after periods in Barcelona and Mexico, and works mainly in drawing and painting, exploring the inner world, hidden emotions and the world of dreams in a style she defines as Poetic Surrealism.

On view until 31 August 2026 at Fortaleza de São João Baptista do Pico.