KOHEI KYOMORI: EXPRESSION M
Beijing
2023.09.23 - 10.21
INTRODUCTION
Whitestone Gallery is pleased to present “EXPRESSION M”, a solo exhibition of new works by Kohei Kyomori (b.1985), from September 23 to October 21, 2023. Kohei Kyomori has always reinterpreted decoration, in its history, technology, meaning and function in a modern perspective. He has used unique craft methods to relentlessly explore and present the possibilities of visual language. This exhibition will continue on this theme, and by presenting his new works, it explores the relationship between majesty and decoration.
The works in this exhibition will focus on the image and decoration of authority in history, and the "M" in the exhibition title represents majesty. The portraits painted in the works are embellished with decorations such as medals, hair accessories, and sabers to show their power, strength, and high status. Kyomori hopes to reflect and interpret the meaning of decoration that has always existed in human history and real life.
One of the powers of decoration is in its visual narrative and the intensity brought about by the density of people involved.
Kyomori creates numerous exquisite images through a variety of techniques not just from painting, but also craftsmanship and dyeing. This fusion and experimentation with sources outside of fine art coincided with the views of the pioneers of the Pattern and Decoration movement (P&D) that emerged in the United States in the mid-1970s. In contrast to Minimalism and Conceptual Art movement that dominate the current art trend, Kyomori chooses to present his interpretation of decoration and craft using the eyes and the fingertips, which is a different artistic path – it is an attitude that seeks to reverse the history of post-colonial art and showcase the everlasting cultures of non-Western, Japanese and Asian regions.
In the past, artists from the P&D movement sought for a different outcome from the trend by reproducing and maximizing decoration itself, but Kyomori's interests are not limited to that. He hopes to raise questions at a more fundamental level, such as "What does it really mean to ‘watch’?” "What kind of visual expression can be attempted today?". Sometimes, he applies the techniques of ukiyo-e and Japanese craftsmanship to his work, which is a labor-intensive process. These handmade works with strong patterns and colors often impact people's vision with overwhelming force, and stimulate the viewers’ ultimate experience that cannot be expressed in words. This is exactly the world that Kyomori hopes to present through art, and encapsulates the essential element that builds our visual culture.
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2023.09.23 - 10.21
BEIJING
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