KOHEI KYOMORI: We Can Always Talk Here

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Whitestone Gallery H Queen’s is delighted to present “We can always talk here”, a solo exhibition by Japanese artist Kohei Kyomori.

The exhibition features predominately the “FLOWING” (2021) series, based on the Japanese concept called ‘Kacho-Fugetsu’ (花鳥風月) ― the artistic pursuit that involves the beauties of nature. 

The foundation of Kohei Kyomori’s artistic pursuit is his relentless exploration and reinterpretation of the decorative arts from all over the world. Hitherto, he has continued to interpret and redefine the history of decorative arts and express the stories in graphic forms. In his first solo show with Whitestone, Kyomori is presenting not only works and installations from his recent series, but also participatory works as a new approach. All works are an attempt to introduce new contexts into contemporary art. 

Kohei Kyomori describes his attraction to the decorative arts as: “the intensity of its visual narrative power and high density in the enormous amount of time poured into it by human hands.” The exhibition is titled, “We can always talk here” and suggests the potential as a visual language and transcendental aspect inherent to each decoration. Within it comes the prospect of overcoming cultural, linguistic, generational, and racial differences endowing the expectation of an equal and fair connection to viewing. 

The “aspiration towards traversing and transcendence” appears in Kyomori’s creations in different forms. For example, the “FLOWING” series in the exhibition is a modern interpretation on the traditional ‘Kacho-Fugetsu’ concept that celebrates the beauty of nature expressed in a dripping, sensual manner. At the same time, this creates a non-Western, Asian timeline formed by the visual narrative in the artist’s words: “Intercepting the best moments in the waves of time that flows not from the past to the future, but from the future to the past and fixing it in the present.” There, time does not overshadow us, but rather comes and goes – an object that we can face and further challenge. 

On the other hand, “R.E.P.” (2021) is a series that is inspired by the origins of the seal, the work is a study based on the relationship between decoration and human beings. According to Kyomori, the seal is: “the most effortless symbol used by human beings to express their possessions before the development of writing, and an act that inscribes the relationship between one’s own to others and the world.” By connecting the role of the viewer, the work becomes collaborative. Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia is a striking manifestation of the inseparability of ornaments and the body. The artist states: “It is simply magnificent, and can only be realized by human beings themselves, and by a large number of human beings who have each poured a great deal of time into it.” For Kyomori, the ornamental nature is not limited to the dimension of color and composition, but is derived from the extension given by the human body. When the viewer participates with his or her own seal, its magical power is put to the test.

Kyomori’s artistic contemplation is not restricted to a specific context. For example, in the “FLOWING” series, Kyomori proposes a pluralistic view of the world that affirms the existence of diversity based on Japanese animism. This is illustrated through the references to Noh masks that resemble divine spirits and allude to the struggles between the digital shift and old conventions endowed in the objects of our history. Kyomori’s works offer a unique take on the contemporary decorative culture and reinterpretation on human activity in the current digital age. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Born in Ehime, Japan in 1985, Kohei Kyomori graduated from the Fashion Master Course of Marangoni Institute in 2008. His solo exhibitions include "-REP.-" (BAF STUDIO, Tokyo, 2020), "AWAREBI" (WATOWA GALLERY, Tokyo, 2020), his has been awarded "Hermes International Scarf Design Competition Grand Prix" (2020) and "Spiral Independent Creators Festival 20 Second Prize" (2019). Having thoroughly studied the role and nature of decoration in ceramics, architecture, clothing, and seals, Kyomori has transformed his work through a production technique rooted in the idea of handicraft. His works are the result of continuous reflection on the idea, aesthetics and history of decoration.