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Shigeo Toya "Body of the Gaze: Semi-Sculpture"
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Shigeo Toya
ShugoArts is pleased to present Body of the Gaze: Semi-Sculpture, a solo exhibition of new works by Shigeo Toya opening on October 18. Toya’s work on the Body of the Gaze series has been ongoing since 2019.
In Body of the Gaze: Semi-Sculpture, unveiled for the first time in this exhibition, Toya applies the prefix “semi-” to sculpture. What is the sculptural conception underpinning this approach?
Relief existed before the golden age of sculpture in ancient Greece, and the standard view in modern Western art history holds that the process was a forward-moving evolution, advancing “from relief to sculpture.”
Toya’s concept of “semi-sculpture” reverses this trajectory, moving instead from sculpture to relief. However, he is not pursuing a return to the primitive relief of the pre-Greek era. What he envisions with semi-sculpture is the possibility of a mode of sculpture that contains unseen dimensions half-hidden from view.
If we regard sculpture as a form that broke away from a relief-like state, connected to the natural world, and came to emphasize independence through separation, then Toya’s semi-sculpture can be seen as a form that turns back toward nature and seeks a renewed coexistence with it.
While primitive relief did not necessarily presuppose an unseen world extending behind it, semi-sculpture differs in that it alludes to an invisible realm and is conceived with its presence in mind.
Toya exhibited POMPEII・・79 (1974) fifty years ago, at the age of 27. Since then, working from Japan in dialogue with the Western sculptural tradition, he has pursued a sweeping narrative shaped by his own vision. With Body of the Gaze: Semi-Sculpture, we present the latest chapter in Toya’s sculptural exploration.
Also on view, and offering entry points to the world of Body of the Gaze: Semi-Sculpture, are Falling (1992), one of Toya’s best-known works, and the large-scale drawing Visions of Woods (2001). We look forward to welcoming you to this exhibition.
In Body of the Gaze: Semi-Sculpture, unveiled for the first time in this exhibition, Toya applies the prefix “semi-” to sculpture. What is the sculptural conception underpinning this approach?
Relief existed before the golden age of sculpture in ancient Greece, and the standard view in modern Western art history holds that the process was a forward-moving evolution, advancing “from relief to sculpture.”
Toya’s concept of “semi-sculpture” reverses this trajectory, moving instead from sculpture to relief. However, he is not pursuing a return to the primitive relief of the pre-Greek era. What he envisions with semi-sculpture is the possibility of a mode of sculpture that contains unseen dimensions half-hidden from view.
If we regard sculpture as a form that broke away from a relief-like state, connected to the natural world, and came to emphasize independence through separation, then Toya’s semi-sculpture can be seen as a form that turns back toward nature and seeks a renewed coexistence with it.
While primitive relief did not necessarily presuppose an unseen world extending behind it, semi-sculpture differs in that it alludes to an invisible realm and is conceived with its presence in mind.
Toya exhibited POMPEII・・79 (1974) fifty years ago, at the age of 27. Since then, working from Japan in dialogue with the Western sculptural tradition, he has pursued a sweeping narrative shaped by his own vision. With Body of the Gaze: Semi-Sculpture, we present the latest chapter in Toya’s sculptural exploration.
Also on view, and offering entry points to the world of Body of the Gaze: Semi-Sculpture, are Falling (1992), one of Toya’s best-known works, and the large-scale drawing Visions of Woods (2001). We look forward to welcoming you to this exhibition.
Schedule | Oct 18 (Sat) 2025-Nov 29 (Sat) 2025 Opening Hours Information
Opening Reception Oct 18 (Sat) 2025 14:00 - 17:00 | ||||
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://shugoarts.com/en/exhibitions/e01227/ | ||||
| Venue | Shugoarts http://www.shugoarts.com/ | ||||
| Location | 2F Complex665, 6-5-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032 | ||||
| Access | 2 minute walk from exit 1b at Roppongi Station on the Hbiya or Toei Oedo line, 8 minute walk from exit 7 at Azabu-juban Station on the Nanboku or Toei Oedo line, 11 minute walk from exit 5 at Nogizaka Station on the Chiyoda line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-6447-2234 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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