HIROKA YAMASHITA

I feel the works have become more visually attuned to the coldness of stone, the softness of soil, theever-changing appearance of the moon and clouds in the night sky, all sorts of textures and sounds,nostalgic sensory memories and aerial vibrations. The scenes that appear before my eyes containimperceptible entities, recollections and thoughts belonging to others, and memory inherent in the landitself, all floating around, and when I paint it feels as if these elements naturally reveal themselves in variousforms. Just as everyday life is full of many new discoveries, I welcome these revelations as I depict this worldwhich can never be fully understood in a single person’s lifetime. If something unknown manifests itself in apainting, I let it stay there. Maybe I will understand it someday, and maybe I won’t, and that’s fine too.

Hiroka YamashitaNovember 2023

This exhibition, titled “玄 GEN”, presents paintings inspired by the artist’s experiences at sites she visitedin person such as the ancient Tsukinowa Kofun tomb, Mt. Daisen, and the lava tunnels of ShimanePrefecture, as well as memorable stories heard from locals. These works draw on raw sensationsencountered in nature, tales passed down from one generation to the next, and explorations of local archivesand histories. They thematically incorporate spirituality and connections between nature and humanityintrinsic to ancient Japan into uniquely constructed compositions. The colors range from pale pastels todeep, somber shades, with thin, delicate layers and brushwork that imbues intangible atmospheres andpresences with a sense of reality. The works on view are further enhanced by a dark, meditative palette,which powerfully and mysteriously elevates them to a state in which they emerge from deep darkness asbeacons that summon forth light.

Hiroka Yamashita was born in 1991 in Hyogo, Japan. She earned a BFA from the School of Visual Arts (NewYork) in 2017 and an MFA in Arts & Design from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University(New Brunswick, New Jersey) in 2019. Since returning to Japan she has been based in Okayama, and hasheld solo shows in the US, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and elsewhere. In 2022, she took part inthe Fürstenberg Zeitgenoessisch residency program in Germany. Recent solo exhibitions include “Project N84” at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (Tokyo, 2021), and group exhibitions include “Yes You Can: TheStrength of Life through Art” at What Museum (Tokyo, 2022).