<Introduction>

Naoki Koide creates sculptures and paintings that have the motifs of himself and people around him, namely people who have close relationships with him. In the 2004 solo exhibition “A Couple in the Bathroom”, Koide exhibited an installation that depicted the couple situated in the symbolically intimate spaces such as bedroom and bathroom. In “Marriage” in 2006, he exhibited the sculptures of the couple dressed as a bride and groom, and the photographs of them in the family portraits that were actually shot in the wedding chapel. “In these Days” in 2008 featured the couple’s moving to the new house, and the deceased family as the motifs.
Although Koide’s works are often inspired by highly personal environments, they do not seem to represent the closed world. The smooth textures of FRP (fiber reinforced plastic) rasped by a file, the dull and somehow nostalgic colors, and the calm but elusive expression of the characters; the comicality and lusciousness, and slightly blended ominousness and unrest of them draw the viewers strongly. Koide’s works possess the essential energy as if they are the continuation of a child’s play. They are full of poetic sentiments, and seem to have power to evoke the viewers’ memories while being autobiographical.

<About this Exhibition>

Tomio Koyama Gallery Kyoto is pleased to present Naoki Koide’s new exhibition, “Maternity Leave”, which features ceramic, which the artist employs for the first time, paintings, and drawings. The main motifs are mother, father and daughter. The ceramic works, created at The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park during his stay in the artist-in-residence, include the approximately 2m piece of the pregnant woman, the sculptures of mother, father, and daughter, and the work of the motif of cloud. Upon the difference between ceramic and FRP, which he has been using for his sculptures, Koide states, “with FRP, 100 % of what I do comes out as the results. On the other hand, ceramic has limitations of materials and environment, so you’d never know until you open the kiln. By trial and error, I played catch with things that are not my own traces.”