Event period: 2021/12/4 (Sat) ~ 12/12 (Sun)
Location: Bunkamura Box Gallery, Shibuya
My winter 2021 solo exhibition at Bunkamura, Shibuya has ended.
I wonder how many times this has happened so far? I have had a solo exhibition at Bunkamura Box Gallery. I set a theme for each exhibition and create a composition and layout of the works based on that. I've been repeating this rhythm for over 10 years, but I still haven't gotten used to it.
Many customers came this time as well. Those who came for the first time were amazed by the unique works (techniques) and displays, and those who have come several times expressed surprise and admiration at how there is more to see than last time (each time).
The theme of this solo exhibition is "Innocent Love". The themes of solo exhibitions in recent years have been a bit sentimental, or perhaps spiritual... but it cannot be denied that they have been influenced by COVID. "Innocent Love" is a theme that came to mind when I wanted to create the parent-child spirit bear, which became the main work. No matter what environment animals are placed in, or whether they become the target of ruthless hunting, they put everything into sustaining their lives. They do not harm anything recklessly, but pour pure love into their own lives and the lives of their descendants. If you ask me whether I am able to do that, the answer is almost always no, but I would like to keep it in mind as much as possible.
Inspired by this theme, the current exhibition features many animal works. The colors are soft, such as beige, green, pink, and purple, and by using translucent glass on the back, there are many works that have a gentle milky feel, far removed from the strong sparkle and transparency of glass, as if they contain light.
Furthermore, inspired by the theme of "Innocent Love," I incorporated baby's breath into the display (the flower language of baby's breath is " pure heart , innocent love"). The lighting was carefully designed with LED bulbs designed to look like filament light bulbs. It would be impossible to display dried flowers with normal incandescent bulbs due to the risk of fire, but LEDs don't give off much heat, so this decoration was possible, and the lighting cast a gentle light whether viewed from near or far. Most of the items in the venue were handmade by me, and the large and small books lying around are hollow and nested like matryoshka dolls. I usually just place them on display, but this time I tried putting flowers in between them and draping flowers in the hollow spaces.
Being in this space can make you feel healed, fill you with energy, and help you forget about your troubles. I believe that is the role that art plays. Next time, I would like to set a new theme and prepare new gimmicks. I hope that people will think, "I want to come back again!"
