Shu Ikeda "In Between Places"

05 September - 04 October 2015

Opening reception:Saturday, September 4, 18:00 - 20:00

Maki Fine Arts is pleased to present In Between Places, a solo show by Shu Ikeda, starting Saturday, September 5, 2015. In his third solo exhibition with Maki Fine Arts, Ikeda will showcase 12 brand new city-themed works.

Born 1979 in Hiroshima, Japan, Ikeda has been receiving much attention with his method of creating unique shapes and voids by cutting out photographs and producing works that traverse between painting and photography. Major exhibitions include Why not live for Art? II - 9 collectors reveal their treasures (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery 2013) and his solo show trivial today, transient tomorrow (Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo 2011).

His new works in the upcoming show are distinctive in that, along with his signature cut-out technique, he has incorporated an abundance of collage work. The works also show possibility for even further evolution from the various technical approaches used by the artist thus far, such as the linear cut outs and the layouts that make use of large voids. For his piece "Invisible Background," lights on city skyscrapers from a night-scene photograph were cut out and then the fragments were reused as a collage. The cut-out lights temporarily lose their meaning but are given a function afresh, creating a fictitious landscape that brings out new understanding. In "Transition," multiple photographs are combined and mounted on two acrylic panels. Fragments of cut-out plant images on the front panel and an image of a city on the back panel are mixed into one single frame. While contrasting varying scenes, the artist is able to successfully transform them into a brand new landscape full of pleasant harmony.

work image

Shu Ikeda "Invisible Background"
2015, photographic collage, mounted on aluminium, 790×1040mm

work image

Shu Ikeda "Transition"
2015, photographic collage, mounted on acrylic, 780×780mm

work image

Installation View

work image

Installation View

work image

Installation View

work image

Installation View

work image

Installation View

work image

Installation View

work image

Installation View