Back to Nature

6.10 sat ~ 6.29 thu, 2023

WATOWA GALLERY is pleased to present the group exhibition "Back to Nature," centered around the artist Alejandro Robles, based in Los Angeles, exploring the theme of the relationship between nature and humans in their artistic practices. Through the works of various artists based in different locations, the exhibition aims to pose the question: what does nature mean to human beings in contemporary society? It seeks to encourage dialogue with nature.

Alejandro views the present as an "unprecedented society where nature and humans are maximally estranged." He presents works created through his dialogues with nature. In the "Yosemite Series," he showcases a collection of paintings created in the secluded wilderness of Yosemite Valley, California, where humans rarely venture. By immersing himself in the vast expanse of nature and confronting it directly, he evokes the experience of reaching a state of "nothingness" achieved through Buddhist temple's ascetic practices, leading to a new relationship with nature.

Fujimoto reflects on the issue of "waste" generated by consumer society. He exhibits the "LAST HOPE" series, created using actual garbage from the Noto Peninsula. This series gained fame after being sold out at our gallery's solo exhibition in 2020. The works are produced through a meticulous process, with Fujimoto melting and solidifying the debris he collected from the inaccessible shorelines. The vibrant abstract expressions retain the original colors of the materials, offering a proposal on the theme.

For the artist Haraguchi, nature is an inexhaustible symbolic motif. His artistic practice centers on themes of "memory" and "recollection," exploring resonance with primitive emotions through viewers' connections to their own memories. The exhibited works include a series of paintings created during his residency at the Un-Pyeong Mountain Studio AIR Program in 2022, as well as pieces featuring his characteristic motif of flowers. "Mountain Festival," one of the exhibited works, draws inspiration from the awe-inspiring and divine sight of blooming Nikko Kisuge flowers seen at Un-Pyeong Mountain during spring. Utilizing the triptych format reminiscent of altar paintings in churches, Haraguchi expresses reverence and sacredness towards nature.

WATOWA GALLERY's vision of a renewed connection with nature through this exhibition.

ARTIST

Alejandro Lopez, Akira Fujimoto,、Minami Haraguchi