Opening Reception: June 6, 2024, 6-8pm
Live painting with DJ Kibachan
June 5 - 29, 2024
Gallery 60 NYC | 208 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022
(347) 601-4323
Open 7 days | 10am-5pm
Admission Free
You will receive one free professional fortune-telling session with Hiroko if you purchase artworks. You could schedule an appointment for her fortune-telling session ($80, 30min, June 7) at k@kyokosato.me.
In her youth Hiroko Saigusa, was nurtured in the Urasenke* tea ceremony which she now includes in her work. Being so close to this ceremony she intimately understands the profound impact of the tea room on the human psyche and brings this influence into her artwork which contains both the energy of turmoil and also evokes a sense of tranquility—wabi-sabi*—through strategic employment of blank spaces, offering solace and healing to all who engage with it. To immerse oneself in Saigusa's art is almost like stepping back in time to the Sengoku (Warring States) period (AD1467-1590), where amidst in intense fighting, the tea ceremony held a special place for its ability to soothe tensions and bring peace to the land.
In a tea ceremony, the concept of wabi-sabi is experienced through all five senses, engaging sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. While experiencing it we admire the scroll in the alcove, the tea bowl, and utensils, listen to the chirping of birds and the rustling of trees in the wind, smell the scent of tea and tatami, and taste sweet confections. Hiroko Saigusa translates this sensory experience into her art by immersing herself in a similar process. She intuitively selects colors, shapes, and textures for her paintings while being attuned to the sounds of her hands or brush on the canvas, the mixing of colors, and pays attention to silence. She feels the texture of the brush, paint, and canvas, smells the paint and canvas, and even tastes edible paint to infuse its flavor into her artwork. This holistic approach allows Saigusa to capture the essence of wabi-sabi in her creations by incorporating sensory elements that resonate with the tranquility and imperfection celebrated in this Japanese aesthetic philosophy.
Hiroko Saigusa's artistic technique involves a unique blend of Action Painting and Sparse Painting, drawing inspiration from American Modern Art. In Action Painting, reminiscent of Jackson Pollock's expressive style, Saigusa stands in front of the canvas and engages in extensive body movements while painting, infusing her work with dynamic energy and movement. On the other hand, in Sparse Painting, practiced by artists like Mark Rothko and Agnes Martin, she adopts a minimalist approach to create a canvas characterized by quiet sparsity and simplicity. By skillfully merging these contrasting elements of dramatic action and serene minimalism within a single artwork, Saigusa achieves a harmonious balance that results in the creation of exquisite and captivating pieces of art.
Hiroko Saigusa emphasizes the significance of sparse elements in her artwork to evoke the essence of wabi-sabi. Her ultimate goal is to heal viewers through her creations by integrating contemporary art techniques that express Japan's aesthetic and wisdom. By infusing her paintings with sparse elements that embody wabi-sabi, Saigusa aims to guide individuals towards inner peace and a brighter future. Her art, characterized by a remarkably graceful spirit, aspires to bring comfort, healing, and a sense of tranquility to those who engage with it, reflecting the profound philosophy of wabi-sabi in a modern context.
*Urasenke: rear Sen house/ family
*wabi-sabi: a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay.
HIROKO SAIGUSA:
WABI SABI IN ACTION
Curated by Kyoko Sato
Born 1978 in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Tokyo-based artist and fortune teller.
Hiroko Saigusa
Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, 2019), SPECTRUM (Agora Gallery, Miami, 2018), 12th Gwangju Biennale, Boundary of Imagination (Gwangju, South Korea, 2018), SURFACES (SPACES - Palazzo Ca' Zanardi, Venice, 2018), 24th Contemporary Art Japan-Korea Exhibition (Japan-Korea Contemporary Art Association, Tokyo, 2018), Biennale, Boundary of Imagination (Gwangju, South Korea, 2018), SURFACES (SPACES - Palazzo Ca' Zanardi, Venice, 2018), 24th Contemporary Art Japan-Korea Exhibition (Japan-Korea Contemporary Art Association, Tokyo, 2018), Current Exhibition (National Art Center, Tokyo, 2016, 2017, 2018), Japan-China-Korea Art Exhibition (Japan-China-Korea Art Exhibition Executive Committee, Tsukuba Museum of Art, Ibaraki, 2017, 2018), ARTRATES JAPAN (Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, 2015), PARK OF THE FUTURE (Netherlands Amsterdam International Museum, 1999), and the Kobi Art League Exhibition (Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, 1999).
Her design work includes stage costumes and flyers for PLANET MAYA, commissioned by musician and yoga charisma Maya Fiennes in 2007 while in London, and founding the fashion brand HIROCO Japan in 2017.
She began drawing at the age of three and was taught the Urasenke tea ceremony by his father. In 2000, graduated at the top of her class from the Visual Communication Design Department of the Toyo Institute of Art and Design. In 2003, she entered the Graphic Design Department of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London. She appeared in BS Fuji's TV program "The Night Before Brake” in 2020.
Her solo exhibitions were held at ARTIFFACT Gallery (New York, 2019), G&J Gallery (Contemporary ART Korea & JAPAN Exhibition, Seoul, 2019), and Bar Foxy in Shibuya (Tokyo, 2016).
The group exhibitions she participated in include: Japan Contemporaries Series 3 Stepping Into A World (Motoichi Adachi and Kyoko Sato, Gallery Max, New York, 2023), Neo-Japonism in Vienna (Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, 2019), 44th Japan Week 2019 (International Friendship Association, Athens, 2019), Creators - Artists of the Era Beyond Heisei
(QUALIART,
(QUALIART, Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, 2019), SPECTRUM (Agora Gallery, Miami, 2018), 12th Gwangju Biennale, Boundary of Imagination (Gwangju, South Korea, 2018), SURFACES (SPACES - Palazzo Ca' Zanardi, Venice, 2018), 24th Contemporary Art Japan-Korea Exhibition (Japan-Korea Contemporary Art Association, Tokyo, 2018), Biennale, Boundary of Imagination (Gwangju, South Korea, 2018), SURFACES (SPACES - Palazzo Ca' Zanardi, Venice, 2018), 24th Contemporary Art Japan-Korea Exhibition (Japan-Korea Contemporary Art Association, Tokyo, 2018), Current Exhibition (National Art Center, Tokyo, 2016, 2017, 2018), Japan-China-Korea Art Exhibition (Japan-China-Korea Art Exhibition Executive Committee, Tsukuba Museum of Art, Ibaraki, 2017, 2018), ARTRATES JAPAN (Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, 2015), PARK OF THE FUTURE (Netherlands Amsterdam International Museum, 1999), and the Kobi Art League Exhibition (Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, 1999).
Her design work includes stage costumes and flyers for PLANET MAYA, commissioned by musician and yoga charisma Maya Fiennes in 2007 while in London, and founding the fashion brand HIROCO Japan in 2017.
She began drawing at the age of three and was taught the Urasenke tea ceremony by his father. In 2000, graduated at the top of her class from the Visual Communication Design Department of the Toyo Institute of Art and Design. In 2003, she entered the Graphic Design Department of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London. She appeared in BS Fuji's TV program "The Night Before Brake” in 2020.
Opening Performance Guest: DJ Kibachan
DJ Kibachan (Hiromi Kiba, they/them) is a New York-based interdisciplinary artist born in Ise, Japan. In recent years, they have immersed themselves in the art of playing records as 'DJ Kibachan,' drawing inspiration from their Japanese roots and the multifaceted soundscape of New York's dance floors. Their DJ sets intricately weave a wide range of genres into a compelling narrative. With an eclectic selection, Kibachan aims to be boundless under the themes of 'love,' 'wellness,' and 'social justice,' resonating with diverse audiences in the realms of art, culture, and music. Since 2021, DJ Kibachan has performed at various venues, including Nightmoves, Ace Hotel New York, The Lot Radio, Jupiter Disco, Good Bar, NowHere Cafe, C5BK Gallery, The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, and St. Nicholas Miracle Garden. They began writing their first poem in 2019 and have since been experimenting with a poetry performance series in collaboration with visual and sound artists. Through participation in artist residencies at mh PROJECT nyc in 2020, the NARS Foundation in 2021, and ChaShaMa in 2022, they eventually gained collaborative performance experiences with artists such as Phill Niblock and Keiko Uenishi. DJ Kibachan received a BFA in Painting from the School of Visual Arts in 1995 and an MFA in New Forms from The City College of New York/CUNY in 2001.
Curator: Kyoko Sato
Sato is a curator based in New York and a leading figure on introducing Japanese culture. In 2022, she curated the exhibition “Japan’s Anime Sweeping the World" (organized by The Nippon Club, NY), and from 2023, she has curated the Japan Contemporaries Series, with Motoichi Adachi, one of Japan's leading broadcasters, which has already introduced about 70 artists from Japan through a program that enables them to exhibit in New York. She is also the editor-in-chief of Japan Contemporaries, an American art magazine. She collaborated with the Asahi Shimbun to realize the " Ancient Egyptian Queens and Goddesses: Treasures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York” (2014, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and Kobe City Museum). She founded the Asian programming at WhiteBox, a New York art space known for its avant-garde exhibitions, and served as its director from 2018 to 2021. She curated “Hiroko Koshino: A Touch of Bauhaus” (2018), and curated the historic exhibition "A Colossal Word: Japanese Artists and New York, 1950s-Present," which featured 55 Japanese artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, Shigeko Kubota, Hiroshi Senju, Takashi Murakami, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Kunié Sugiura, and Tomokazu Matsuyama.
Gallery 60 NYC
Gallery 60 NYC is a newly designed gallery that has been meticulously designed to showcase a diverse range of works by contemporary artists from a wide range of genres. Located in the heart of New York City, it is the ultimate destination for art lovers who want to experience cutting-edge expression from today's hottest artists. Dedicated to fostering new talent, Gallery 60 NYC aims to be a platform for artistic exploration, cultural dialogue, and the cultivation of new ways of being in the art world. Gallery 60 NYC is a sanctuary for contemporary art and a source of new talent.
