8/ ART GALLERY/ Tomio Koyama Gallery is pleased to present Bouquets, a solo exhibition of works by Midori Sato.
A closet packed full of colorful clothes, an array of high-heeled shoes on shelves, and vivid assortments of flowers –Sato’s paintings are manifestations of all things women admire. Yet, if we turn our attention to the details of her work, bold brushstrokes and an intentionally uneven paint coating tinge her subject matters with the contours of abstraction. The coexistence of concreteness and abstraction, combined with the richly vibrant use of color and superlative composition, demonstrates the force of the power that draws the viewer into the picture plane.
Painted by Sato during the year and several months she resided in Paris, Bouquets is a series of work depicting bouquets observed by the artist each month. According to Sato, the works implicate her “on-going gaze channeled towards the subject.” Marking her fourth solo presentation with Tomio Koyama Gallery after residing in Paris for a year since the autumn of 2017, the exhibition introduces a selection of new works featuring motifs such as plants and fruit that Sato had found herself attracted to during her days abroad.
This exhibition is held concurrently with Sato’s solo show Glimmer of night at the art salon SCÈNE in Minami Aoyama from February 2 [Sat] to March 15 [Fri] (open to the public every Thursday 13:00-19:00, and other days by appointment only). Viewers are invited to visit both exhibitions to embrace the brilliantly eloquent world of her work.
【Artist Statement 】
Spring, summer, autumn, winter –I pursued flowers, gazed upon bouquets, and found myself emotionally attracted, continuing to paint my new discoveries so that they would not disappear and that I would not forget.
When I came across leaves, berries, and flowers in nature, they had appeared to me like jewels.
I am currently fascinated with flowers and painting things I find in nature, as it is here that is filled with the beauty of life.
I am currently fascinated with flowers and painting things I find in nature, as it is here that is filled with the beauty of life.
Engaging with flowers and fruits that have long been cherished and inherited as motifs in art, I had begun my journey down a new path of exploration.