'In Praise of Shadows', Atsuo Hukuda and Alan Johnston exhibition in Kanazawa, 12 May to 3 June 2018

WAGON is delighted to announce In Praise of Shadows, the first two-person exhibition between Atsuo Hukuda (b.1958, Hokkaido) and Alan Johnston (b.1945, Edinburgh) in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan from 12 May until 3 June 2018. It is hosted by Suisei-Art, a project space based in a historical Kanazawa Machiya building. Hukuda is a sculptor who has been concerned with ‘identity of Japanese art’ by employing traditional Japanese crafts and painting techniques and materials such as gold leaf. Johnston, on the other hand, is one of the leading Scottish geometric abstract artists of his generation, whose work is known for wall drawings including a large-scale ceiling drawing commission by Tate Britain in 2013.

Entitled In Praise of Shadows after a 1933-4 essay by Junichiro Tanizaki (1886-1965), this exhibition aims to set up a site-specific installation by the artists as their direct and artistic responses to the space of Suisei-Art in a Kanazawa Machiya. This part of Kanazawa’s architectural heritage, originally built in the pre-war period, still holds the shadow – and the dull, delicate light – that Tanizaki praised.

This exhibition will coincide with related exhibitions at the following venues to maximise the impact of the activity: Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum; Coelacanth – Bushiro Mohri Memorial Museum (Kurobe, Toyama); CONCEPT SPACE (Shibukawa, Gunma); and AIS Gallery  (Shibukawa, Gunma).

As an opening event, a public talk is planned. The artists and curator will be joined by a guest speaker, Professor Akitaka Kawakami, an Aesthetician and the Director of Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum.

Venue: Suisei-Art (11-8-1 Sanjyamachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa 920-0861 Japan)

Opening hours: Tue, Wed and Thu 11am-4pm | Sat and Sun 11am-8pm | Closed on Mon and Fri

Curated by Naoko Mabon (WAGON)

Cooperation: Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum; Coelacanth – Bushiro Mohri Memorial Museum; CONCEPT SPACE; and AIS (Art Institute Shibukawa)

Supported by: Shibuya Foundation for Science, Culture and Sports; Hope Scott Trust; The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation; and THE ASAHI SHIMBUN FOUNDATION