Akashi Teramoto -Viewing Flowers from Verso-
October 21(Sat) - November 10(Fri), 2023
N project
N project is pleased to present “Viewing Flowers from Verso,” a solo exhibition by Akashi Teramoto, from October 21 (Sat) to November 10 (Fri), 2023.
Akashi Teramoto, born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1992, completed his master’s degree in oil painting at Tama Art University and currently works out of a shared studio in Sagamihara City named Art space Kaikas’. Teramoto’s practice extends beyond painting—he has created installation works in the past, and the artist continuously experiments with exhibition layouts and pictorial compositions that maintain a keen awareness of spatial relations.
The majority of Teramoto’s past works are titled “Patio” and depict a neutral space, neither indoor nor outdoor, where an array of random elements—everyday appliances, people, objects, fragments of landscapes from the artist’s own memories—are painted with equal importance. Teramoto often builds upon what he has previously made, weaving together cohesive paintings from the relationships that emerge between his works.
This exhibition, titled “Viewing Flowers from Verso,” features new and recent works by Teramoto which explore typically unseen aspects of the spontaneous occurrences inherent to the creative process, as well as feelings of curiosity and fear for the areas hidden from the viewer’s eye. The paintings demonstrate a mindfulness of the equality between the artist and the artwork.
“In search of others,” a group exhibition curated by Yuichi Hirako and held at KOTARO NUKAGA (Tennoz, Tokyo) in May 2022, proposed that the way contrasting elements interact in Teramoto’s paintings—where the familiar and the uncanny commingle—can prompt viewers to reconsider the relationships that exist between various people, objects, and other components of their daily surroundings.
Hirako’s insightful commentary provides further context for Teramoto’s exhibition:
“One could argue that all paintings are, to some extent, a form of fiction. No matter how realistically they are executed, they always convey something different from a photograph. I believe any artist, especially one who works in representational painting, constantly wrestles with how much they are willing to disregard viewer expectations in order to express themselves freely.
Since the first time I saw Akashi’s works, I had the impression that he plays very deftly on the canvas, akin to a child arranging various toys on a table, organizing them into groups or using them to build a house. I think he is incorporating this sensibility in his work. Artists often “sober up” as they ruminate over composition or colors and lose their sense of playfulness, resulting in much more subdued paintings. Yet Akashi retains his playfulness until the end; this is an incredibly rare quality in an artist, and I believe it is the greatest appeal of his works.
A world on canvas invented by an individual artist may not truly exist, but the process and intention behind it are undeniably real. The value of Akashi’s art lies in how one interprets and has fun with this fact. I am confident that reading into his paintings will be a delightful adventure, since Akashi himself is always playing with his art.”
ARTIST
DATE
October 21 (Sat) – November 10 (Fri), 2023 Hours: Weekday 10:00-17:00 Saturday 11:00-18:00 *Closed on Sundays and National Holidays
VENUE