Kohei Nawa “Generative Skin” at Towada Art Center
We visited Kohei Nawa’s solo exhibition “Generative Skin.”
The venue is the Towada Art Center.
Biomatrix (W)
The centerpiece of this exhibition is Biomatrix (W).
It is another version of Biomatrix, which was first presented at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE in 2018.
The previous Biomatrix has been changed to white, and the (W) has been added to the work’s title.
Unlike the previous version, whose movements were controlled by computer programming, in this piece bubbles form and disappear at random without any control.
The area of each cell has also been considerably reduced, and the movement is calm and quiet.
The sound of bubbles bursting is also very small, giving the whole work a charming, delicate quality.
“I did not want it to become another illusion-like piece,” said Nawa.
The silicone oil, with a texture like sweetened condensed milk, drew us into quiet contemplation.
The size and placement of the work were designed to match the exhibition space.
For reference, we include below the article and video from the solo exhibition previously held at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE.
PixCell-Deer#52
Another highlight is the well-known deer work from the PixCell series.
This work has been entrusted by a private collector, Mr. T, and is on display as part of the Towada Art Center’s permanent collection.
Drawings
Also on display are drawings that were shown at a solo exhibition held at Gallery Nomart in January 2022.
These are drawings made more than twenty years ago, using calligraphy vermilion ink and pencil.
White Code
White Code is a work created by slowly moving an unprimed linen canvas and letting paint drop onto it, tracing the resulting trajectories.
Although the show was small in scale with only a limited number of works, seeing Biomatrix (W) alone made this a solo exhibition worth visiting.
There seemed to be some room for improvement in the display methods, but including the permanent exhibition, the Towada Art Center is a museum that can be enjoyed at leisure.
