Kunstraum Richard Sorge presents "Everything to More," New York based Japanese artist Hiroki Otsuka's first solo show in Europe featuring drawings and murals.
The show's title alludes to Otsuka's cooperation with Berlin-based choreographer Jeremy Wade, there is no end to more, a critical multi-medial exploration of "Kawaii" (cuteness) commissioned by the Japan Society NY that premieres from 25 - 27 November at the renowned Berlin Hebbel am Ufer theatre. One day later, November 28, the murals and drawings of Otsuka's one-man show at Kunstraum Richard Sorge will be unveiled. The exhibition extends the themes of Kawaii, saturation and alienation into the realm of shifting and dark sexuality.
In his drawings and paintings, Otsuka makes an elegant transition from erotic Manga to disturbing fine art, applying intriguing gender twists to his uninhibited explorations of sexuality. His works "delve into our own experiences of the carnal; whether straight, gay, trans-gendered or otherwise, these works speak to the diversity of sexuality," curator and expert for Japanese modern art Eric C. Shiner has written.
Not only the Manga, but also the Ukyo-e tradition (which had its own erotic/educational sub-genres directed to all sexes) are referred to in Otsuka's work, as is a Warhol-like seriality and the Manga-related Japanese Cosplay phenomenon that originally stems from sexual role playing, but has gained crossover appeal and also includes people presenting themselves as comic/fantasy figures at clubs or conventions.
The way the works in the "Everything to More" exhibition are placed on the wall mimics the irregular layout of Mangas. While viewing, the spectator is making the familiar head movements of the comic reader. Spontaneous narratives arise from the playful arrangement of the individual pieces. Also a toilet seat refers to the low status of Manga artworks as toilet literature. The exhibition's murals will be on view in a group show at the Warhol Museum next year.
Unable to express himself fully as a young artist in Japan, Otsuka moved to San Francisco, and is currently based in New York, where he has worked for the Takashi Murakami studio and exhibited with such artists as Yoko Ono and Yasunao Tone. He has recently executed large scale murals for the Japan Society (NY). This fall, Otsuka's work can be viewed in "Making faces : Depiction of women in Japan from Edo to Today" at the Pittsburgh University Art Gallery.
Exhibition duration: Nov. 29 - Dec. 22 2009. Prolonged: the exhibition can still be viewed by appointment from January 2 - 16.
Download/view press release: German / English
View Artist bio.
Download/view artist info as pdf.
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Thanks to:
Japan SocietyNorth America's single major producer of high-quality events and exhibitions on Japan for an English-speaking audience.
Sake Kontor
Offering an extensive and fine selection of Sake (rice wine) as well as information on its history and production.
Comicstars.de
Read, discuss and publish Mangas and comics online!
Newground Publishing
Developing innovative ways of pop culture publishing & distribution.
Media links:
Sounds like Me: Tamatama otokonoko, tamatama onnanoko
Turnintodust: strange how your mind curves - Hiroki Otsuka
TanzraumBerlin Magazine
Culture Bot - Art + Culture + Ideas
Zichi's Arty Posterous
Jitter - Magazin für Bildgestaltung
