Lady Aoi
A reinterpretation of Japanese theatrical art in the modern world. A landscape of sand and spirits.
Scenography inspired by Japanese's traditions
Set design for the theatrical play, “Lady Aoi“- a piece inspired by a Mishima text and the Noh theater.
Rather than literal scenery, I used textural contrasts to define the space. I paired the cold, industrial feel of metal and plaster with the organic warmth of wood and the fluidity of raw sand. This allowed the actors to transition through the narrative’s emotional geography without the need for traditional scene changes. I focused on the post-war Japanese aesthetic: a time of fractured identity, to inform the jagged, minimalist lines of the stage.
The Narrative: The play exists in the blurred boundary between reality and the supernatural. To support this, I designed a set that could fluidly morph from the sterile confinement of a hospital room to the infinite, desolate expanse of a seaside beach. I chose a raw, elemental palette: sand, wood, metal, and plaster to ground the ethereal story in a tactile reality. The sand, in particular, served as a shifting landscape, capturing the footsteps of the living and the traces of the ghosts that haunt them.
The Result: I created a space where the atmosphere acts as a second protagonist. It is a minimalist arena that captures the tension of Mishima’s text, where every material choice echoes the themes of neglect, obsession, and the haunting presence of the past.
