Event period: 2021/9/18 (Sat) - 9/23 (Thu, public holiday)
Location: Tor Gallery 1F
The Kobe solo exhibition, held under the state of emergency declaration due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was a difficult six days, just as expected. The prolonged self-restraint period has led to deep questions about the meaning of "enjoyment," and as people are forced to judge things that are not worthy of it or that are unnecessary and non-urgent using vague and different standards for each person, things that are not essential to life are forced to feel uncomfortable.
So, if you ask me what is needed to overcome this situation...to survive, I think it is to strengthen one's "uniqueness" in a good sense. Not something that someone else has made, but something that only that person can make. Something that can only be experienced there. If you hold it in your hands, if you display it in your room, if you can experience it, you will be able to live each day positively. I believe that something with such characteristics will help you overcome this situation.
This Kobe solo exhibition was held with such thoughts in mind. Not only the perfection of the works, but also the decorations have become more and more particular every year, and he spends as much time on display items as he does on his works. The book-shaped frames of various sizes and colors are made from handmade Nepalese paper, and after binding the books from scratch, they are carved out of the covers and burned.
He also pays particular attention to lighting, using warm colors and gentle light to enhance the works.
Why do I put so much effort into my solo exhibition? It all comes down to wanting to be an "artist who puts on a particular exhibition". There are people who purchase my work from my online store. Even if I can't serve customers, I think that knowing "what kind of particulars does he have, how much space does he create, and how does he direct it" will increase the joy of purchasing/wearing/displaying my work. It's not just an accessory, it's not just art, but if it doesn't become something that the person can't live without, like a talisman, in the coming backlash against mass production and mass consumption, the one and only era, I think that's the impression I got after my Kobe solo exhibition.
