The exhibition “Kemono-Tatemono: Colour. Form. Japan” by Japanese artists Naoaki Itoh and Kaoru Sasaki is on view at the exhibition hall of the Pedvāle International Artist Residency.
The exhibition reveals the distinct yet interrelated artistic languages of the two Japanese artists. Through their visual works, they explore the interplay between the forces of nature and human-made structures, seeking balance between the instinctual and the constructed – between the “beast” and the “building,” as suggested by the exhibition’s title, Kemono-Tatemono. The landscape of Pedvāle and the time artists spent in residence has served as a source of inspiration for new works in this rich and visually vibrant exhibition.
Painter Kaoru Sasaki allows colour to take the lead in her paintings, becoming the driving force that shapes both the composition and movement within each work. The exhibition includes two new paintings created at Pedvāle, inspired by the forms of local summer flora. The artist has also created a vivid visual diary, in which daily observations merge with her internal emotional experience.
Naoaki Itoh approaches his practice through three-dimensional thinking – his works bring together architectural structures and organic forms. Alongside finely detailed drawings, he presents sculptural objects that reflect his long-standing exploration of the intersection between architecture and living beings. A new sculptural piece created during his residency embodies both the form of a bee and a structural frame, evoking a poetic tension between nature and construction.
The exhibition “Kemono-Tatemono: Colour. Form. Japan” by Naoaki Itoh and Kaoru Sasaki will be on view at Pedvāle Art Park until 19th October 2025.
