Hiroko Masuko “bonsai extension” 6 - 29 June 2013

27 May 2013
For Immediate Release
ICN gallery Press Release
Contact: Hiromi Asakawa
Tel: 020 7729 7977
Email: info@icn-global.com
ICN gallery
96-98 Leonard Street; London EC2A 4RH
Hours: Mon – Sat, 12:00–7:00 pm
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Hiroko Masuko “bonsai extension”
6 - 29 June 2013
Private view : Thursday 6 June 2013 18:00 - 19:00 (RSVP needed)
Opening Party : Thursday 6 June 2013 19:00 - 21:00
Artist talk - Hiroko Masuko with Sam Seager : Saturday 8 June 14:00 - 15:30
ICN gallery proudly presents “bonsai extension” by artist Hiroko Masuko from 6 – 29 June 2013.
She has been chasing her depiction of drawing a unique interpretation of the world in the motif of
“bonsai” minutely with pens. Bonsais that appear in her works grew as time went by and turned
traditional sometimes or at other times showed “evolution” like animals. This is her first solo
exhibition in the UK, which will include her new works expanding from her past ones.
Outline of the exhibition
“Bonsai extension”, will exhibit about a dozen works that Masuko has produced since 2006 with the
motif of “Bonsai” that are proliferated. Exhibited work, “BONSAI ‘Ouroboros and Corolla’ “, has the
theme of ouroboros that means “death and rebirth” and corolla that means eternal girlishness. The
ring which is not yet complete proliferates further in search of completion. Masuko regards the
picture plane as bonsai’s pot, when she produces a piece of work. This time, that picture plane is
deformed unnaturally.
Profile
Hiroko MASUKO (b. 1982 ; Miyagi, Japan)
Currently living in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture. With unique interpretations such as Bonsai appearing
like Chimaera or using empty Bonsai pots to embody the flora and fauna 'after the Bonsai has
left' , Masuko elaborates new ideas which expands the image of Bonsai. Her works have already
attracted enormous attention in the Japanese art scene.
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"Ouroboros and Corolla"
pen,ink,torinoko paper,nikawa glue
1820mm×2420mm 2012
"The ring extends gently"
pen,ink,paper,wooden panel
725mm×910mm×30mm 2013
"Vessel"
pen,ink,paper,wooden panel
250mm×1000mm×10mm 2013
"Shouhin bonsai Harunoma"
pen,ink,paper,wooden panel
211mm×300mm×20mm 2013
photo by OIWA Yosuke / Cyg
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Artist Statement
Bonsai is a unique Japanese culture that depicts natural scenery in a microcosmic way by planting
trees in a pot. By using bowls and wires, trees’ growth is artificially restricted, by which the direction
of branches’ growth and the growth speed are manipulated as the producer intends and, thus, the
shape along the sense of beauty that each individual wants to express is aimed. Symbolic motif
such as “Bonsai”. In its production process, I find artistic expression by human hands and beautiful
harmony of nature itself and am attracted to them.
My paintings begin with drawing (of my images from surrounding scenery and culture), which I call
“the seed of the picture”. This “seed of the picture” is equivalent to the young tree in bonsai and
develops in a constraint of picture plane (or pot). There appears the contrast between the artistic
activity that imitates bonsai’s shape and the natural beauty. In order to highlight the contradistinction of these images, I use simple expression method such as white and black, same lines by pen.
Curator Message
From a town of the earthquake disaster
Paintings that grow and proliferate
CN introduces Hiroko Masuko, an artist with fighting spirit who lives and produces in Tohoku. She
now lives in Miyako-city, Iwate prefecture, which was damaged massively by the East Japan Great
Earthquake Disaster that occurred on 11 March, 2011. City centre’s damage was managed to
some extent, but the sea shore area such as Taro District was catastrophic. What made her stay
there ?
“There were towns that vanished instantly by the earthquake disaster.
There are towns that quietly vanish as time goes by or because of the rains and winds. New wind is
storming there.
Like a one-eyed ghost, it is gazing at us.
I gazed back at it.” (Hiroko Masuko)
Inspired by local culture
Her production style is to produce by acquiring the local culture and climate of the town where she
lives. She seems very interested in people’s lives, manners, and climates from her younger days.
She has lived in Miyagi, Fukushima, Tochigi, Yamagata, and Iwate before, ie various places in
Tohoku Region. It is said that each town’s scenery gets homogenized now, but it is completely
different depending on the place or is culturally connected with an unexpectedly remote town, once
you live there. She never gets bored, she says. She often gets inspired by the scenery, people in
town, and customs for her everyday drawing. And the drawing gives her further ideas and the
works grow.
Relentlessly interesting “Bonsai”
Masuko has been chasing her depiction of drawing a unique interpretation of the world in the motif
of “bonsai” minutely with pens. One catalyst was that she was taught about the “front face of
bonsai” in her primary school days. The direction to look the most beautiful is set (generally called
front and back) possessing a picturesque aspect.
“Bonsai” is born from the collaboration of human artistic depiction and natural beauty.
And the “bonsai” in her works grows as time goes by, being traditional at one point, or at other
times showing creatural “evolution” that looks like an illusionary animal.
This is her first solo exhibition in UK which displays new works that expanded her past works. Her
pen’s dense concentration and free image that opens up are overwhelming, while the blank area
audaciously left shows some oriental sense of space. Let’s see what comes out. Please do enjoy
the new developments that the artist foretells.
ICN curator : Hisami Omori
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Scheduled Events:
Saturday, 8 June 14:00 - 15:30
Artist Talk ”Since 11 March 2011 ...” Hiroko Masuko vs Sam Seager
A talk show between Sam Seager, a UK photographer that published “Broken Things” by taking
pictures of post-disaster Tohoku, and Hiroko Masuko will highlight the activities and works by these
two artists that confront the earthquake disaster.
About ICN gallery
Connecting the creative world from Asia
ICN gallery is contemporary art gallery based in London that actively seeks to showcase and share
with the UK public upcoming & young contemporary artists from Japan and other Asian countries.
Neither seeking to imitate the West nor call for a return to pure tradition, the ICN gallery artists'
works present messages on today's dynamically changing world of Asia. Producing works of pure
creativity, they expand beyond established art boundaries, incorporating the
ideas of art, culture and philosophy with originality and skill. Besides organising exhibitions, ICN
also host events, seminars and workshops offering the public a chance to have a more personal
engagement with creative work. By basing ourselves in Japan and UK, specifically London, not
only are we able to discover new talent, but also able to lend support to more local artists; extending our ever-growing network for creative distribution.
For further information please contact ICN gallery:
Hiromi Asakawa
info@icn-global.com or 020 7729 7977
ICN gallery
96-98 Leonard Street
EC2A 4RH London
020 7729 7977
info@icn-global.com
www.icn-global.com
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