“Store” 2023
leather, paints, dyes
“Dragon in the Soil” 2023
washi, Suihi paints, mineral pigments
Natsumi SASAKI Solo Exhibition
“Out of the Soil”
Tarohei Gallery in Nihonbashi Honcho, Tokyo, is pleased to present ‘Out of the Soil’, a solo exhibition by Natsumi Sasaki from Friday 2nd June to Saturday 24th of June.
Natsumi Sasaki is a young artist who just completed her master’s degree at Tohoku University of the Arts in March this year but has already won the Shingo Hoshino Prize at the Triennale Toyohashi.
She desired to be a different creature from the past and began painting self-portraits with long rabbit-like ears like in Japanese paintings. Eventually, she began to think that the ways to exist as a human being could be as varied as imaginary aliens and started a series called ‘Rinjin (meaning: neighbours)’.
In addition to depicting on leather the unknown creature ‘Rinjin’, which is a fusion of plant, animal and insect characteristics and the human body, humorous works in terracotta clay assumed to have been used by ‘Rinjin’ are created, as well as works based on motifs such as memoirs and experimental tools by the ‘Rinjin’ researcher, Mr N, to create a grand ‘Rinjin’. The story is being developed.
Exhibition Outline
Artist： （Ms.）Natsumi Sasaki
Exhibition Title： “Out of the Soil”
Terms： Friday 2nd June 〜 Saturday 24th June, 2023
Open： Wed, Thru, Fri, and Sat from 12:00 to 19:00
The story leading up to the exhibition（created by the artist Natsumi SASAKI）
‘Mx. Natsumi SASAKI’’ found several strange traces. They were documented by researcher “Mr N”, who described the unknown creature as “a 3.3m tall humanoid with a blue-green colour and long ear-like organs’” and named it “Rinjin”. Further investigation revealed that the traces discovered had been excavated by Mr N in the past and that he was the only person to have encountered Rinjin. At present, Mr N’s detailed background and whereabouts are unknown. However, ‘Mx. Natsumi SASAKI ‘ is continuing his search for Rinjin.
About the exhibition
Based on the premise of the above story, we will exhibit works created by Mx. Natsumi SASAKI
(the person who traces the path of “Rinjin” and Mr N, and the artist herself), inspired by the story that “Rinjin” had a special feeling for soil.
Thinking of “Rinjin” who was attracted to the soil, the artist focused on the “inside of the soil” in the art
works.
We hope you will enjoy the unique yet carefully expressed works, which aim to “open up the way of being of human beings as living creatures”.
About Natsumi SASAKI
1999 Born in Iwate Prefecture
2021 BA in Japanese Painting, Department of Fine Arts, Tohoku University of Art & Design
2023 MA in Japanese Painting, Graduate School of Art and Design, Tohoku University of Art & Design
The 6th Scholarship Student of the Kuma Foundation, Japan
Main Exhibitions
2019 Yamagata Comprehensive Art Festival, Yamagata Art Museum, Yamagata Pref.
2020 Iwate Art Festival Art Exhibition, Iwate Prefectural Citizens Hall Exhibition Room, Iwate Pref.
2021 Art Festa Iwate, Iwate Prefectural Art Museum, Iwate Pref.
Tohoku University of Art & Design Graduation and Completion Works Exhibition, Yamagata Pref.
Amadare 2021 – Chika KITAZAWA, Natsumi SASAKI, and Kaori TAKUMA, Gallery Suiran, Gunma Pref.
The 8th Triennale Toyohashi – Shingo HOSHINO Award Exhibition, Toyohashi Art Museum, Aichi Pref.
2023 Tohoku University of Art & Design Graduation and Completion Works Exhibition, Yamagata Pref.
KUMA experiment vol.9 ”pneuma”, Kuma Foundation Gallery, Tokyo
Awards
2019 Encouragement Prize, Yamagata Prefecture Comprehensive Art Exhibition
2020 Art Festival Prize, Japanese Painting Section, Iwate Art Festival Art Exhibition
2021 Excellent Award, Tohoku University of Art & Design Graduation and Completion Works Exhibition
Shingo HOSHINO Award, The 8th Triennale Toyohashi
2023 Excellent Award, Tohoku University of Art & Design Graduation and Completion Works Exhibition
Tarohei Gallery
https://tarohei-gallery.com
Location Nihonbashi Tarohei Building, 1-7-12 Nihonbashi-Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 81-(0)3-6262-6905
Open: Wed, Thu, Fri and Sat 12:00-19:00