We are pleased to present painter Yuka Mori and ceramic artist Akane Saijo’s duo exhibition “Responses in Flux.” Both artists are based in Kyoto who studied together at The Graduate School of Kyoto City University of Arts (Master’s Course), each approaching to the boundaries of their physical body and other subjects. Mori has a background in Japanese painting, who tries to perceive the sense of the boundary collapsing between one’s self and the exterior and pursues to express the inner world inside the surface’s beauty. On the other hand, Saijo is interested in historical events or incidents which she carefully investigates. She creates ceramic works, usually having hollow structure regardless of the exterior form, which overlaps with her research subject—both connotes a fictional nature.

The exhibition started from the artists’ correspondence, where the two confessed each other their “sin of the body.” According to the artists, bargaining was inevitable on the process of the correspondence, making them struggle to consider how far they should expose their true self. The act of accepting what occurred to the other and discovering what the two persons have in common, is synonymous to the understanding of the relation between one’s self and the society in a new light. From this process of re-recognition, they created a cycle to flux each other’s “sin of the body” to transform into new energy.

Details of the correspondence are kept secret to the viewers. In Japanese, there is an idiomatic phrase “drain to water” (forgive and forget, let bygones be bygones) used to break collision, conflict, or the tensed situation. The exhibited works have proceeded as the two artists went back and forth between their perception’s boundaries, sublimating each other’s confessions that may have been “drained to water.” Perhaps they may be the reaction of the interviewer, the responding nod, the consideration, or forgiveness.

We strive to prevent the spread of the corona disaster. We are keeping our staff taking temperature, ventilating the room, and keeping the other’s social distance. We’d like to thank you for your kind attention and cooperation.

Artists in the gallery days : from February 12th to 14th

Press release Yuka MORI, Akane SAIJO duo exhibition “Responses in Flux”

Yuka MORI
1991　Born in Osaka; Grown in Shiga, Japan.
2010-2014　B.A. Kyoto City University of Arts
2015　École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris exchange student
2014-2016　M.F.A Japanese-style painting, Kyoto City University of ArtsSelected
2019 Launching of the Art Room in the 32nd Building of the Municipal Housing Complex in Suijin, Kyoto City

Selected Solo Exhibition
2020 One wood, one grass / Kaikado Café, Kyoto
2019 Spreading vein/ GALLERY SUJIN, Kyoto
2018 Yellow room humid afternoon / Dohjidai Gallery, Kyoto
2017 Dawning / LOKO GALLERY, Tokyo

Selected Group Exhibition
2020 Drawings/ LOKO GALLERY, Tokyo
2020 New Japanese paintings 2020 / museum EKI Kyoto, Kyoto
2016 internal←→external Yuka MORI　Hana TOBARI / LOKO GALLERY, Tokyo
2016 stART2016 <body/mind> / galerie16 , Kyoto
2016 Salut, la planète! – exhibition of exchange students / École nationale supérieure des beaux -Arts de Paris
2015 Kyoto Bank 15years collection / Kyoto Bank Finance collage Katsuragawa campus
2012 Current Japanese Style Painting / Kyoto City University Of Arts Gallery

Art Fair
2019 NEXT /Sydney Contemporary 2019, Sydney

Akane SAIJO
2012 Kyoto City University of Arts, ceramic art course(B.A)
2013 Royal College of Arts, exchange program
2014 Kyoto City University of Arts, ceramic art course(M.F.A)
Currently based in Vostok, a shared studio in Kyoto.

Selected Solo exhibition
2019 “Grace of Taboo” WACOAL STYDYHALL KYOTO Gallery/ Kyoto, Japan
2018 “Grotta/ solitude in the womb” Dohjidai Gallery/ Kyoto, Japan
2017 “Folly” Art space Niji/ Kyoto, Japan
2015 “Attitude of Stone” Art space Niji/ Kyoto, Japan

Selected Group exhibition
2019 “KOGEI as Contemporary Craft: Transcending Boundaries” 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art/ Kanazawa, Japan
2019 “Kyoto selected new artist exhibition 2019” The Museum of Kyoto/Kyoto, Japan
2018 “Vostok OPEN STUDIO” Vostok/Kyoto, Japan
2018 “NewNew Mutation” KYOTO ART CENTER/Kyoto, Japan
2017 “Ascending Art Annual Vol.1 Shapes and Figures” Spiral Garden/ Tokyo, Japan
2017 “Test Case Ⅺ” European Ceramic Workcenter/ Oisterwijk, Netherlands
2017 “rhizome Akane saijo＋Shima Haruka” Gallery @kcua/ Kyoto, Japan
2016 “ROKKO MEETS ART2016” Rokko Alpen Botanical Garden/Hyogo, Japan
2013 “DOMO” Hackney gallery/ London, UK

Selected Awards
2020 Kyoto City Special Encourager for Arts and Culture
2019 Kyoto City Art Cultural Special Promotion /Kyoto, Japan
2016 ROKKO MEETS ART2016 Chokoku-no-Mori Art Foundation Prize/ Hyogo, Japan
2012 Purchased my work by system of supporting Artist of The Bank of Kyoto/ Kyoto, Japan
2011 The Tomimoto Award of Exhibition of Kyoto City University of Arts2012/ Kyoto, Japan

Artist in Residency
2019 Le Maupas A.I.R./ France
2017 European Ceramic Work Centre/ Netherlands

ARTIST PROFILE: Yuka Mori