Maki Katayama “Birds and Rats and 20 Browns, Etc.”
I visited “XYZ collective,” a gallery in Sugamo, for Maki Katayama’s solo exhibition “Birds and Rats and 20 Browns, Etc.”
A suspicious entrance reminiscent of a snack bar
Maki Katayama has produced paintings based on original color charts derived from investigating past weather conditions, using numbers derived from the birth dates and death dates of the individuals who serve as her motifs. In this exhibition, she presents a new development of her recent “Collision” series — in which the surfaces of two canvases are repeatedly brought into contact to build up the image — creating abstract paintings that reference the color composition of Japan’s Taisho and Showa eras as well as Josef Albers’s color design.
The dots and lines that compose the geometric-pattern-like works have a distinctive touch, and combined with the color balance of old Japan, I felt as if my own common sense and knowledge were being challenged.
Sales of works seemed to be going well, and I could sense the support she is receiving. This became an impressive solo exhibition that leaves me looking forward to her next work.
It was a display that made me want to hear the artist speak about her work.
