Swallows, pine trees and "shidarezakura" (weeping cherry trees) adorn its white cloth. Its vivid colors catch the eyes of visitors to the room, and its pattern takes their breath away when viewed up close. U.S. aircraft fly over pine trees, and soldiers parachute down from cherry blossoms. Coral reefs spread out on its hem, with Henoko Bay dugong swimming in between.

This room in the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Tokyo's Akasaka is where the famed photo of Hirohito and MacArthur standing side by side was taken in September 1945, one month after the end of the war.

This bingata was presented at an exhibition titled "Ties Over Time" held by Ambassador John V. Roos and his wife at the residence in 2010. It featured paintings, handcrafts and other works by 10 Japanese artists with links to the United States, and Teruya's piece was subsequently loaned to the residence for ongoing display.

New York-based Teruya, 39, has been praised by The New York Times as a popular artist who pays close attention to the beauty of even the most intricate details. His works are featured in the collections of famous galleries in Japan, the United States and Europe, and are also bought and sold at major auctions.

One of Teruya's creations uses clippings of newspaper photographs displaying debris from the Great East Japan Earthquake, with numerous shoots sprouting from the newsprint. In another, a toilet paper tube has been transformed into a tree trunk, with part of it cut away to evoke the growth of new branches. The use of everyday items in these artworks suggests meditations on nature within delicate beauty.

via AJW