Kaneko Johkoh “Witness, a State of Being”
Agora Gallery
This event has ended.
When creating her Sumi ink paintings, Japan-born, Vancouver-based artist Kaneko Johkoh works as quickly as possible so as not to lose or over-think the idea, image or sensation that she’s trying to convey. This quasi-surrealist approach results in works whose sparse compositions and stripped forms evoke Joan Miró, while also drawing on classical Japanese Bokusho painting techniques. Johkoh veers between abstraction and figuration, with certain details suggesting landscapes or human figures, while others remain juxtapositions of pure formal elements like thick brushstrokes, washes of pale color, and flecks of bolder hues.
By giving each of her works a descriptive title, Johkoh suggests a possible figurative interpretation that makes her paintings, however influenced by tradition, seem simultaneously very contemporary. Through her minimal deployment of black ink swaths, restrained but colorful detailing — often including exquisite marble patterns she creates on her Washi papers — and evocative titles, Johkoh has developed a captivating and incredibly rich visual lexicon. The result is a series of works which undoubtedly reward repeated viewings.
Media
Schedule
from June 04, 2013 to June 25, 2013
Opening Reception on 2013-06-06 from 18:00 to 20:00