Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore (GINZA SIX 6F, Chuo-ku, Tokyo) will be holding the solo exhibition “CHERISH BLOSSOM” by Taiwanese artist Demos Chiang from Saturday, March 23, 2024 to Wednesday, April 10, 2024. ) will be held at GINZA ATRIUM, the central event space within the store. In addition to unveiling the latest series of works inspired by cherry blossoms for the first time, we will also be holding a collaborative exhibition with TRADMAN'S BONSAI, a bonsai artist group that preserves tradition while going beyond conventional ideas.
Special page | https://store.tsite.jp/ginza/blog/art/38891-1009340220.html
·overview
Demos Chan is an artist who expresses his thoughts and concerns about the world by drawing anthropomorphic animals. The work is a record of the artist's own inner feelings, and at the same time conveys to the viewer a spirit of equality towards all living beings and a sincere attitude toward life. The contents of the English poems that correspond in parallel to each work inherit the tradition of Chinese calligraphy and painting, while also linking to his true self and philosophical reflection.
When it comes to painting techniques, he incorporates Western techniques such as lacquer and water mixing, splashing, and scraping to create agile, smooth textures and layers. On the other hand, when creating sculptures, he uses the concept of “vacuum'' to explore the ephemerality of time and its transitions in human life.
In this exhibition titled "CHERISH BLOSSOM," we will unveil for the first time a new series inspired by cherry blossoms, which is appropriate for this season. Additionally, works created in collaboration with the bonsai artist group "TRADMAN'S BONSAI" will be exhibited at the venue. Please enjoy it at the venue.
・Artist statement
CHERISH BLOSSOM
People make their lives difficult by complicating everything. They only see what they choose to see and never see things as they really are. That's why cherry blossoms exist: to remind us to stop and cherish these flowers.
I celebrate cherry blossoms in three dimensions: my interpretation of "cool" and my interpretation of "cute," as well as the common interpretation of traditional Japanese bonsai. The "cute" versions of the cherry blossoms are represented by colorful pictures, which can be combined to form a cherry blossom forest, but can also be displayed alone, in pairs, or in trios. It's like people celebrating cherry blossoms under cherry blossom trees. The “cool” version of the cherry blossoms will be a series of paintings in monochrome colors to highlight the softness of the cherry blossoms. This strength makes the cherry blossoms look softer.
For my interpretation of bonsai, I wanted to draw a pot that would reflect the shape of the bonsai animal. We also created a new sculpture, “Hinoki⿓'', which echoes “Shō⿓''. “Hinoki Cypress” takes the form of “Snowy Mountain Drywood”, a natural wonder of Taiwan. It started as a seed, turned into an arrow, and was placed horizontally to match the vertical shape of the "ascending arrow". The material is brass, which changes color over time and deteriorates like the life process of wood. The painting technique known as “dai lacquer'' is a technique possessed by Japan and China, and its origins are as old as bonsai. This emphasizes that bonsai and art – good bonsai and art – are passed down through our generations, just like traditional techniques. We are only the guardians or creators of the moment. (Demos Chiang)
·profile
Demos Chiang
Demos Chiang
Demos Chiang's family background and Western education in his youth have enabled him to express a modern new literary and artistic style that integrates Eastern and Western cultures in design and artistic creation. It's done. At the age of 30, he achieved outstanding results in commercial design and won several international awards. In recent years, his artistic talent and education have allowed him to express his creativity in various aspects, including graphic painting, installation sculpture, and multimedia art. The work uses anthropomorphic animals to express his observations and interest in the world, but at the same time it also represents the author's record of his inner feelings, giving the viewer a sense of his keenness. You can read their sentimental nature and how they treat all things equally. And his sincerity and tenacity, especially the English poems written in each work, inherit the tradition of Chinese calligraphy and painting, and are full of true emotions and philosophical considerations. Painting techniques include Western techniques such as oil-water separation, paint splashing, and coloring. The texture, which is scraped with a knife and layered over many layers, creates a rich depth of field, bringing out the speed of the brush strokes and the smoothness of the screen.
When it comes to creating sculptures, I use the concept of vacuum to explore times and moments of transformation in human life. The concept of “removing the most basic things and leaving the most core things'' runs through his approach to creating sculptures.
In 2021, he was invited to the Chengdu Biennale Super Integration, where his installation work, which was exhibited as the main artist, received high praise. Starting with Tokyo in 2023, a series of eye-catching international exhibitions will tour around the world, including Shanghai, with unique artworks on display in each city, and in 2024, Demos will bring even more creative energy. He returned to Tokyo with a new artistic vocabulary and a new way of thinking about art.
・Exhibition of collaborative works with bonsai artist group “TRADMAN’S BONSAI”
TRADMANʻS BONSAI
With the mission of conveying Japan's traditional culture of bonsai to the world, we formed TRADMAN'S BONSAI in 2015 (later established Matsubaya Co., Ltd. in 2016) and have worked with apparel select shops, high-end brands, car dealers, etc. We also carry out collaborations with bonsai, and are delivering a never-before-seen world of bonsai to a wide range of generations, including young people, by preserving tradition and going beyond preconceptions.
・About sales of works
The works exhibited at the venue will be on sale at the store from 11:00 on Saturday, March 23rd.
*Depending on the pre-sales situation, sales may end before the start of the exhibition period.
・Exhibition details
Demos Chiang solo exhibition “CHERISH BLOSSOM”
Date: March 23, 2024 (Sat) – April 10, 2024 (Wed)
Time｜11:00-20:00 *Closed at 18:00 on the last day only Venue｜Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore GINZA ATRIUM (event space)
Sponsored by: Ginza Tsutaya Shoten Planning and Production: as STUDIO, MEGATRON
Cooperation｜TRADMAN'S BONSAI
Admission | Free inquiry | 03-3575-7755 (during business hours) / info.ginza@ccc.co.jp
Special page | https://store.tsite.jp/ginza/blog/art/38891-1009340220.html
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・Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore
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Address | GINZA SIX 6F, 6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
Phone number｜03-3575-7755
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・CCC Art Lab
CCC Art Lab is a planning group within the planning company Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. that proposes a “life with art.'' By proposing a “life with art,'' we hope to make art more accessible, make someone's life happier, and contribute to creating a better society. Based on the knowledge we have cultivated through many years of business experience in store planning, art media, product development, and event production, we propose plans using approaches that only we can do.
https://www.ccc-artlab.jp/
[Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (CCC ART LAB)] From a press release
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