Inspired by his close friends and fanciful creatures, Koide’s exhibited works mainly consist of sculptures of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) in addition to photos of his works. The vertically elongated forms have been filed numerous times to reduce material and leave a pastel color tone; leaving one with the impression that they were statues made for an amusement park or advertising mascots, which are found in front of shops and restaurants, that have been exposed to the sun and rain. However, the characters exhibited here each have their own individualistic traits and characteristics; instead of possessing a definitive pop-like expressions seen in commercial mascots, there seems to be a faint recognition of a distant memory floating somewhere among the vast expressions.
In “Undead Family”, which was first exhibited at “Magic Room” in 2004, we were pulled into the memories of a family back from the dead and presently living through a chance encounter with the artist. Also exhibited in 2004, Koide’s work that was displayed at the Tomio Koyama Gallery Project Room, “A Couple in the Bathroom”, was an installation that intimately depicted the artist’s conception of a couple in a bathroom and the adjoining bedroom. Sculptures of strange creatures; a dwarf’s head sticking out of a whale’s back and a small hippo standing on two legs, were placed nearby as if they were charms. The artist took the sculptures to various locations and photographed them; the photos of the figures also played an important element in the exhibition. Instead of having a sense of existing as physical objects, it seems that the objects, taken from two-dimensional images, will reappear in scenes from the artist’s imagination.
Speaking about the inspiration of his works Koide said, “When I’m dreaming, my experiences feel real even though I sense that I’m not really there, similar to the sense of when I reflect on people and places in my memories.” Secretly hidden in the vague contours of the world, there must be a place that is full of euphoria.

This exhibition features three-dimensional works from Koide’s studio and his friends. In addition to the sculptures of the couple being married, there are a variety of reliefs, deformed drawings, and wall paintings. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.