I visited “NAKAMA de ART,” a pop-up gallery organized by Shingo Katori.
On the opening day of my visit, Shingo Katori himself, along with all the participating artists, was present in the gallery, making for a lively exhibition.
Dan Isomura
Right past the entrance is Dan Isomura’s exhibition corner.
Dan Isomura is a young artist I’ve had my eye on. His 2017 solo show also left a deep impression on me.
On view this time were five sculptures that had also been shown in his 2016 solo exhibition “Hell Star.”
http://tavgallery.com/hellstar/
It seems the works shown back then were installed and stored outdoors after that exhibition closed. As a result, weed-like plants had grown near the ground, and they were brought in and displayed just as they were, in that very state.
And if you look closely, casters have been attached to make them easy to move. This too is one of the minor changes.
These sculptures are said to be influenced by contemporary Thai Buddhist art. The key point is that, even though they take the hungry ghosts of hell as their motif, their faces are somehow endearing. I always sense gentleness and love in Dan Isomura’s work.
In the YouTube video he hid his real face behind a large dog mask called “Good Morning Dog,” but he’s a pleasant young man whose blue-dyed hair leaves a strong impression.
This time only three-dimensional works were on show, but he’s an artist with many appealing drawings as well. There’s even talk of another solo show in 2018, so he’s definitely one to watch!
I’ve put together a summary of the exhibition here, so please take a look.
