TOMOTSUGU MANABE

12016
October 30 - November 27, 2016
Opening reception: Sunday, October 30, 3-6 pm

Viewing room: YUTAKA NOZAWA
something like a walk in the park
October 30 - November 13, 2016

TOMOTSUGU MANABE　12014 (FUTOMAKI Ver.)　2014, polycarbonate plate, ohana-gami (tissue paper), wood, h190 x w224 x d182 ㎝

KAYOKOYUKI is pleased to announce the solo exhibition with Manabe Tomotsugu. Manabe Tomotsugu was born in 1981 in Kanagawa, Japan.
Recently, Manabe presented his work in "12016" at KAYOKOYUKI, Tokyo, 2016, ”80th Anniversary -TAMABI Quality" at Tama Art University, Tokyo, 2015, "12014” at Gell Alterna, Tokyo, 2014, ”Such the our time” Curated by Tomotsugu Manabe at JIKKA, Tokyo, 2013, "Art Program Ome" at Ome Municipal Museum of Art, Tokyo, 2012, ”SLASH/07 -KEEP YOUR EYES SET ON FARAWAY" at nap gallery, Tokyo, 2012. Lives and works in Kanagawa.

In his early period, Tomotsugu Manabe created and exhibited artwork such as an installation where clay was pressed and fixed in layers against the whole surface of an exhibition space, and a three-dimensional artwork where clay was layered as strata, by pressing with hand, into the shape of his hands. Recently, Japanese traditional lucky charms and regional specialty souvenirs have been frequently employed as his motifs. For example, Manabe has created and exhibited a massive Fukusuke (good-luck doll) that is produced to act as a shelter into which viewers can enter, Ebisu (god of fishermen and luck), Daikoku (god of wealth), and a foam sculpture in imitation of a bear wooden sculpture, a typical souvenir of Hokkaido. He has also been interested in production processes deeply rooted in people’s daily lives and indigenous motifs, as can be seen in his artwork of a basket in the shape of ancient Jomon pottery, made of tightly rolled-up advertisement leaflets.

In this exhibition, a massive sculpture in imitation of “Kazari-maki,” one type of Japanese rolled sushi, will be exhibited. The “Kazari-maki,” with which patterns of flowers, faces, etc., are created by utilizing phenomena such as a pattern generated through the act of rolling and using the exact same cutting pattern, will be recreated with different materials such as Hanagami (thin Japanese paper) and corrugated sheet. While Manabe has dealt with the historical contexts of sculpture (pressure towards the center/relationship between surface and interior/emphasis on the action), he also attempts to deal with the internal aspect of humanity, i.e. unconsciousness, through the theme of why humans become attracted by certain forms or actions. The artist’s interests with which he attempts to touch the primal deep psyche existing since ancient times are reflected in the title of this exhibition, “Year 12016,” which is suggestive of a great time scale by adding ten thousands years on the current Christian year (the beginning of the Jomon period is said to be about 13,100 years ago).