Javier Martin “INFINITE LIGHT”
We visited “INFINITE LIGHT,” the first solo exhibition in Japan by Spanish artist Javier Martin. The venue is MASAHIRO MAKI GALLERY in Omotesando.
Javier Martin was born in 1985 and began oil painting in early childhood, holding his first solo exhibition at the age of eight. He has since built his artistic career entirely through self-study.
His work centers on “Blindness,” a theme he has been developing since 2007. By confronting today’s elusive and ambiguous perceptions and concepts of beauty and value, he has produced highly original expressions. Using neon lights and whiteboards, he presents works in which the eyes of female figures are obscured.
Now based in New York, Javier Martin uses billboard posters from outdoor advertising throughout the city as collage material.
Focusing through the concept of “Blindness” on representative stereotypes embedded in contemporary culture — such as the pinnacle of beauty and the worship of wealth — Martin has presented a body of collage works in which banknotes serve as parts of the clothing worn by female models, and since 2011 he has begun incorporating neon lights into these collages.
In April 2019, his first solo exhibition at a museum, “Blindness,” was held at the Seoul Museum of Art.
His collages also incorporate Chinese and Korean banknotes, and he enjoys strong support in Asia as well as in Europe and the Americas.
For this exhibition, the Blindness series has been developed to a new dimension.
The concept of “Infinite” (eternity) is also linked to our own definitions of unchanging youth and beauty.
This exhibition also features new works from the same series produced especially for the show.
The motifs wear kimonos of Japanese origin.
His production process is briefly introduced in the video below.
He is engaged in energetic activity, and further growth is greatly anticipated.
