Yosuke Kobashi "Good Formation - New Normal Paintings"

Gallery Momo Ryogoku

Finished

Artists

Yosuke Kobashi

Yosuke Kobashi was born in Nara, Japan in 1980, and graduated from Osaka University of Arts in 2003, In 2014, he participated in the group exhibition "Nostalgia & Fantasy: Imagination and Sources of Contemporary Art" at the National Museum of Art, Osaka. In addition, a two-person exhibition with Kawashima, "Flying," was held at our gallery in 2019, beginning with a building in Atami, and has been held at Utrecht (Tokyo) and Cafe Le Prue (Osaka), among others. In recent years, exhibitions have been held throughout Japan along with "Flowers, Dolphins, and Unicorns," an art book published by Piyo Piyo Press, a book label launched by Kotori Kawashima in 2021. At the end of last year, he used a room in a building scheduled for demolition as his studio, and at the time of his departure, he and Kotori Kawashima held a two-person exhibition "Pink Noise Dance," which was well received for its installation that utilized the space.

His self-portrait series, which has continued since his early days, is one of his most representative works. The rough colors and touch of Gauguin, and the soft lines of the body, as depicted by Matisse in "Dance," give the viewer a sense of dynamism, and his nude self-portraits, depicted in unison with nature, have brought a sense of openness to the viewer. In recent years, his motifs have expanded to include familiar people and common plants, and he has intentionally eliminated ideology, which may seem merely optimistic, but there are no boundaries, and his expression has a tolerance that cannot be categorized. The sense of freedom and expansion seen in the works can be seen in the way they are exhibited.

Inspired by the word "formation" from the movie "First Slam Dunk," the exhibition is titled "Good Formation," transforming the word into a term related to the composition of "placement" in the creation of the works. The subtitle "New Normal Paintings" is based on the idea of "painting in a normal way," which Kobashi returns to many times during the production process, and is modeled after the New Expressionism (New Painting) that took place in the 1980s.

The soft lines, colors, and freedom of his works, which are recognizable as his creations, are not based on the rigid idea that "this is how contemporary art must be" or "it must incorporate social themes," but on the motif of plants and animals that have been used up and play minor roles in paintings, and food that has been depicted as a prop in paintings.

Schedule

Apr 8 (Sat) 2023-May 13 (Sat) 2023