Gestalta

Gestalta (they/them) was first introduced to Shibari in 2007 and has been immersed in it ever since. Their interest was initially sparked by the aesthetic of Shibari; the seemingly organic structure of rope melding with flesh in the works of Nobuyoshi Araki, and other artists whose works they had collected in scraps from the few Japanese publications available.

As they began to practice it themselves, they also found an interest in exploring the potential of ropes to open up new ways to connect with the body, with other people, and the effects of pushing themselves into seemingly ‘extreme’ psychological and physical states.

They began using Shibari in performance in around 2009 and gradually developed an interest in impermanent structures, and the fragile balance found between us, our environment, and within intimate connections.

Although they see Shibari very much as an art form, it is also important to them that its more traditional roots are not glossed over; they see it as a powerful way of reconciling any perceived conflict between art and sensuality and exploring the relationship between the two.