Naoko Takahashi - Not So Too Much of Much of Everything

by Naoko Takahashi

During a three-month residency in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Japanese-born, London-based artist and filmmaker Naoko Takahashi confronted the issues of dislocation, mistranslation and gender politics in the Arab world. In this chapbook, written in the style of a factual report, she takes the reader on a breathless journey through the air-conditioned rooms and arid streets of the modern Arab metropolis, where she feels that every move she makes is misread and that her identity is repeatedly forced upon her and manipulated in ways she cannot control. Takahashi's work highlights the ambiguities and confusions of identities as played out through language in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual society. Moving from confusion and isolation to anger in the course of the book, she casts her experiences as a modern allegory of alienation. Part of Book Works Chapbook Series.

72 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ohne Kopfschmerzen macht es Spaß!

[Juliane Roell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came across the book in a book exchange in London and fell in love with the cover color and design at first, and the writing style at second sight. An extremely interesting view into an asian woman expatriate's life in the UAE. Recommended for all: topic, content, writing style and book design.