TOMOHITO USHIRO

Having spent many years at the forefront of digital media as an art director, Ushiro has in recent years expanded his practice into the realm of materially grounded works. Since his first solo exhibition Pointed in 2022, he has consistently developed a distinctive visual language based on the concept of “the transformation of images through the straightening of organic curves by reducing the number of points,” navigating the space between figuration and abstraction.

Ushiro’s practice is deeply rooted in the structure of memory. The visual information he has accumulated—ranging from characters and advertisements to photographs and paintings—exists in varying states, from vividly preserved forms to impressions that have gradually dissolved into ambiguity over time. By actively manipulating these conditions of memory, the artist investigates how such accumulated imagery shapes one’s sense of self.

Comprising approximately 37 new works created specifically for this exhibition, Welcome to The Country presents a multifaceted exploration of these mechanisms of memory. In the two-dimensional works, exemplified by Welcome to The Country 002, representational imagery is reduced into linear compositions, destabilizing its original meaning and function while giving rise to a new visual order. Executed in acrylic on canvas, these works foreground the very process of transformation by systematically reducing points along curved forms.

The exhibition also features large-scale paintings, including works extending over seven meters in width, which engage the viewer’s physical perception within the space. In addition, a series of light box works introduces illumination as an integral element, further expanding the perceptual dimension of the images and offering a different approach to the relationship between vision and cognition.

The sculptural works presented in this exhibition consist of a new series combining wooden box structures with acrylic elements. By enclosing imagery within these constructed forms, Ushiro introduces spatial concepts such as compression and containment, extending his ongoing exploration of the relationship between visual perception and material presence. These works establish a dynamic dialogue with the paintings, contributing to the exhibition’s layered spatial composition.

The exhibition title, Welcome to The Country, originates from the artist’s ongoing inquiry into the notion of “country.” Is it something external, defined by systems and borders, or an internal construct shaped by perception and belief? In this context, Ushiro reflects on “Marlboro Country,” a fictional nation created through advertising in the 1960s, which profoundly influenced him during his formative years. While it once functioned as a powerful symbol of aspiration and identity, its eventual decline exposed the instability of the values it embodied, prompting the artist to question the very nature of belief.

The works presented in this exhibition traverse the boundaries between figuration and abstraction, reality and fiction, interiority and external structure. Through these investigations, Ushiro quietly interrogates the uncertainty of what we perceive as truth and the foundations of what we choose to believe, inviting viewers to reconsider their own modes of perception.

We invite you to experience Ushiro’s latest body of work, which offers a compelling insight into his evolving artistic practice.