Opening Event | June 8th (Sat)

◯ Talk Event　15:00 –
Speakers:
Naoya Ishikawa (Artist)
Tsutomu Mizusawa (Art Historian and Critic)
Moderator: Noriko Yamakoshi (Independent Curator)
◯ Reception Party　17:00 –

Standing, Able to stand, Not Standing, Unable to Stand:
The Current State of Naoya Ishikawa

By Tsutomu Mizusawa

Naoya Ishikawa. Essentially, he dedicates himself to the art of stone sculpting. With the exception of meteorites, nearly all stones have their origins in the earth, forming connections with various materials like metals, cement, and fossil fuels. According to the teachings of Native American tribes like the Hopi, when utilizing these resources, they must be returned to their original locations; failing to do so would result in the depletion of the entire Earth.

Naoya Ishikawa’s artworks consistently exude a sense of instability, leading to their detachment from conventional bases (referred to as “pedestals” or “ground (地山)” in the case of sculptures).

They exist in a state of perpetual suspension, resembling wandering sculptures.

That is to relativize the attribute of weight, an ability that responds to a unique sensitivity to this state of “floating”. Sculptures, as a result, remain in a state of constant flux.

Floating, flowing… “Panta Rhei (everything flows).”

It resonates across time and space with the insight of Thales, the Greek philosopher, into the perpetual flux of all things.

There, artificial notions of antigravity or weightlessness are refused, instead opting to inhabit an ambiguous state consciously—sometimes leaning, sometimes standing upside down, or being suspended.

The weight of the stone anchors it to the earth, enabling sculptures to either stand independently, require support, fail to stand, or remain unable to stand. Characterized by their inherent uncertainty and instability, these sculptures emerge as a natural consequence.

They are also compatible with perceptual phenomena rich in changes as color, and unpredictable expressions of others, allowing Ishikawa’s works to adapt freely to collaborations.

Where does the essence of sculpture lie?

In the presence of Naoya Ishikawa’s works, such questions arise naturally and harmoniously.

LOKO GALLERY is pleased to announce the first solo exhibition at our gallery by the sculptor Naoya Ishikawa, “Not Stand Alone – Connections and Methods”.

Ishikawa, born in Tokyo in 1987, completed his Master’s degree in Sculpture at the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Fine Arts in 2012. He currently resides and works in Kanagawa Prefecture. (Recipient of the 72nd Kanagawa Cultural Award Future Award in 2023)

In his practice, Ishikawa has delved into human perception and cognition through his exploration of the boundaries between sculpture and painting in his two-dimensional sculptural works and abstract sculptures. Using marble as his primary medium, a substance with a rich historical legacy, he grapples with the fundamental question: “What constitutes a sculpture?”

The beginning of the series “Not Stand Alone” featured in this exhibition traces back several years to when Ishikawa established his outdoor atelier. Situated on sloping terrain, the land initially presented challenges for artistic production and even standing upright. It was there that he first encountered the necessity of “embankment” work. Clearing trees and leveling the ground with assistance from family and locals, Ishikawa came to the realization that he had been living in a world already flattened by others. This encounter prompted contemplation on how humans can only stand through reliance on others within the context of connections, ultimately giving rise to Ishikawa’s subsequent “Not Stand Alone” series, which he describes as “the first sculpture to feel natural.

The question of what defines sculpture has been pivotal throughout the history of contemporary sculpture, often intertwined with the history of pedestals and their inseparable relationships. In his atelier, nestled among trees, Ishikawa embarked on an exploration of the concept of sculpting the natural human body. This inquiry led him to ponder whether a sculpture can stand independently in various contexts, or if such independence is even necessary. Delving into physical connections such as gravity, friction, and tension, he sought to understand the principles of sculptural stability. Echoing the notion of human independence and reliance mentioned earlier, this investigation reflects on how sculpture can exist and maintain equilibrium within these balances and connections. Ishikawa draws inspiration from pediatrician Shinichiro Kumagai’s assertion that “Independence means increasing dependencies” as he further develops his ‘Not Stand Alone’ series, imbuing the richness implied by this concept into both himself and his works.

The works also emerge from chance encounters with various stones. Ishikawa finds aesthetic integrity in direct carving, eschewing clay, and plaster prototypes. His approach, which he terms the “stone method,” encompasses the inherent beauty in the series of events involving moving, splitting, and carving stones. The resultant works retain the organic shapes and vein patterns of individual stone objects generated during the splitting process, embracing the irregularity and unpredictability of natural forms while embracing a degree of randomness. What kind of experience and potential for contemplation does the practice of “Connections and Methods” in Ishikawa’s sculptures have to offer?

Naoya Ishikawa CV

Born in Tokyo in 1987. Lives and works in Kanagawa. Gallery Gigi owner

Education
2010　Graduated from the Department of Sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
2012　Master’s Degree at Department of Sculpture, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts

Solo Exhibitions
2022　Person Not Independent, Gallery Pictor, Kanagawa
2022　Line, Rise Gallery, Tokyo
2015　Naoya Ishikawa Exhibition -daily life-, KANEKO ART TOKYO, Tokyo

Group Exhibitions (Selected)
2023　Inbetween, CREATIVE SPACE HAYASHI, Kanagawa
2023　Constellations of Viewpoint / Ginga101, Tokyo
2023　Ballet meets Art vol.2 / KATSUYA SUSUKI GALLERY, Tokyo dialogue – Naoya Ishikawa / Hikari Yamaguchi-, s+arts, Tokyo
2023　Centers are Everywhere and Numerous – Final Group Show, Gallery Pictor＆Hou-an Kita Kamakura, Kanagawa
2022　Progress -Time of Stones and Time of Fabric – , s+arts, Tokyo
2022　NAOTO KUMAGAI × NAOYA ISHIKAWA -Oil on Marble-, Gallery Gigi, Kanagawa ART NAKANOSHIMA2022 MA2 Gallery, Osaka
2021　Independent Tokyo 2021, TOKYO PORT CITY TAKESHIBA, Tokyo
2021　awareness, Gallery Pictor, Kanagawa
2020　My Sculpture, Gallery Gigi, Kanagawa
2018　Sculpture Exhibitions on 11m2 Wall, GALLERY IRIYA, Tokyo
2017　STONE -Rough Stone of Expression-, FEI ART MUSEUM YOKOHAMA, Kanagawa
2016　Discovery / Rediscovery, Fujisawa City Art Space, Kanagawa
2014　Artist Exhibition of Tokamachi Stone Carving Symposium, Gallery 6zbo, Niigata

Awards
2023 　Recipient of the 72nd Kanagawa Cultural Award Future Award
2021　 Independent Tokyo 2021 Jury Prizes (by Chisei Yamamoto of s+arts, Junichi Aso of RISE GALLERY, Lee Saya of LEESAYA)
2018　Selected for The Oita Asian Sculpture Exhibition
2015　Selected for Kanagawa Art Exhibition
2012　Governor of Tokyo Award, Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Exhibition
2010　Governor of Tokyo Award & Ataka Prize, Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Exhibition

Instagram
@ishikawa_naoya_sculptor

Artist WEBsite
naoyaishikawa.jimdo.com