Yuichi Hirako “Memories”
We visited Yuichi Hirako’s solo exhibition “Memories” at WAITINGROOM, a gallery in Edogawabashi.
Yuichi Hirako’s practice centers on painting, but extends across media — drawing, sculpture, installation, sound performance — as he explores the coexistence of plants and humans and the questions that arise about the relationships between them.
Upon entering the gallery, a large wooden tower (yagura) assembled at the center immediately catches the eye.
For this new solo exhibition, Yuichi Hirako chose “memory” as his theme, drawing on approximately 13,000 photographs he had taken with his smartphone over the past three years to create the new ≪Perennial≫ series.
“Perennial,” the title of the series, refers to “perennial plants” while also carrying the meanings of “long-lasting” and “enduring.” Rather than depicting fleeting memory, the works express a world that persists over time — a way for the artist to reflect, while working, on the more universal relationship between humans and plants.
To coincide with the exhibition, “mm’s” — which produces artist-collaboration T-shirts using high-quality materials — offered a limited-edition T-shirt for sale.
An “audio guide” — now standard at museums — is also available for this exhibition. The audio guide is led by Yuichi Hirako himself, with gallery director Ashikawa acting as interviewer as the two carry the conversation forward.
The audio guide is clearly structured and lets visitors feel Hirako’s worldview open up even further. It should help viewers enjoy a richer experience of the show.
It is worth noting that both the limited-edition “mm’s” T-shirt and the audio-guide project were proposals originally brought forward by collectors who support Yuichi Hirako.
These initiatives — flavoring a gallery exhibition through the perspective of highly engaged collectors — are efforts that open up what is sometimes seen as an insular art market, and we will continue to watch such moves closely.
Alongside his internationally expanding practice, Yuichi Hirako mounted a solo exhibition of distinctive character and diverse range. Unveiling a new series while maintaining his momentum as an artist, this was a show that further widened the horizons of his possibilities.
