Kohei Nawa "L_B_S"
Maison Hermès
This event has ended.
The next exhibition at Le Forum will be new works from the rapidly rising artist Kohei Nawa. Since his first exhibition in 2000, Nawa (born 1975) has garnered attention both at home and abroad for works of alluring material presence and accomplished plastic beauty. In 2005, the artist designed window displays for Maison Hermès.
We cannot speak of Nawa's work without mentioning ideas of "skin" and "cells." In his well-known PixCell series, the "skins" of objects such as taxidermied animals, sneakers, musical instruments, toys, and fake fruit assume phases never seen before. Membranes of countless transparent glass beads form a new interface between these things and us. Permeating the familiar material reality of his subjects, these cells derail the ingrained tactile memories and conventional visual notions we have of these objects.
This exhibition will afford Nawa the opportunity to present his trademark materials on a large scale. The title is an acronym for LIQUID, BEADS, and SCUM, which represent the three phases of growth for Nawa's cellular skins. The first indicates the fluid maternal space out of which cells bubble forth; the second refers to the glass beads affixed to and mediating the objects; and the third describes the transformation of cells, having reached their limit, into replicating and expanding residues. Each work arises as its skinlike interface undergoes its particular metabolic changes, a process which, thanks to the artist’s formal intelligence, results in art of overwhelming beauty.
With our brains drowning in a sea of information, we gradually become numb to own bodies. Alerting us to the envelope of skin that enfolds us, Nawa’s works make intense appeals to our senses of sight and touch. Imbued with the physicality of the artist’s direct confrontation with his materials, they become devices to reawaken bodily feeling.
[Image: ©Nobutada Omote, Courtesy of the Hermès Foundation]
Media
Schedule
From 2009-06-19 To 2009-09-23
Mon-Sat: 11:00 - 20:00 (Last admission: 19:30) Sun: 11:00 - 19:00 (Last admission: 18:30)
Artist(s)
Reviews
Three new works by Kohei Nawa continue his exploration of skin, surfaces and borders.
Our Guest Blogger gives their recommendations on what’s hot in our new regular column.
ガラスブロックの非現実的な空間でリアルに皮膚感覚を揺さぶる新作展
TABuzz with Guest Blogger #5, 住吉 智恵(アートエディター/ライター)
アートエディター、ライターに聞く16words。
ひとりの作家に対するいろんな評価
Delightfully disposable.
会場と作品が見事に解け合った個展でした。
http://henacyoko-art.at.webry.info/200907/article_13.html
エルメスに縁のない人間なので入りづらかったが
展示は面白いです
シリコンから泡が出てくる展示は吸い込まれそうな感覚がよい
個人的に好きな作家さんです。3つの作品から生を感じます。
http://ameblo.jp/jinjin0116/entry-10315165730.html
それぞれの素材の質感が生かされていて、観ていて吸い込まれそうでした。
おすすめはリキッドです。ぜひ実物をご覧ください！
いわゆる生命感、生々しく、などど表現される感覚は、（何かによって）生物の内部から発せられるものという既成観念があったように思えます。しかし表皮からなにかを受け取っているとしたら？作品としては３つだけなんですが、おなかいっぱいになるまで楽しませてもらいました。
不思議な感覚ずっとずっと見ていられる感じでした。
http://cocothouse.exblog.jp/10121538/
The works look charming in the space full of light, especially "BEADS" and "LIQUID" are gorgeous. Maison Hermes le Forum must be one of the best places to see these works.
http://unbirthday364.blogspot.com/2009/08/lbs-kohei-nawa.html