Artwork: Kosei Komatsu, *Dreams of the Forest, light* installation, Taiwan, 20204

Japanese artist Kosei Komatsu’s recent installation Dreams of the Forest (2024-5) at the Dongxing Canal Light Art Festival in Taiwan shines a light in the dark. A small hut positioned outside on a bridge over a canal, a single light bulb swings back and forth casting shadows and illuminating the cut-out paper butterflies on the wall. It is surreal, intimate, stunning and simple. Komatsu’s art works with nature, the elements, movement, and light to create ethereal and exquisite installations. Komatsu wrote this about the Dreams of the Forest:

“This work was created during the Covid-19 pandemic. While in home-quarantine, we discovered that time suddenly felt abundant. The image of the small house brings back memories of visiting my mother’s old home in the mountain. As a child I would play in the forest. The lights danced on the ground. Everything was so beautiful.

Artwork: Kosei Komatsu, *Dreams of the Forest, light* installation, Taiwan, 20204 (internal view of little house)

Yet at night, the forest turned into a dark, terrible place. Staying indoors, I enjoyed watching the shadows of insects projected on the wall. These images awakened long-forgotten memories, bringing those moments back to life. I hope every viewer finds their own stories in the little house and the forest, rekindling the innocence and imagination of childhood.”