The exhibition is planned with four artists from Hokkaido, sculptures, photographs and Japanese-style paintings at the new art space “Absolute space for the arts” in Tainan. The exhibition is under the theme of “Through the eyes of Hokkaido Artists”.

Hokkaido has a natural environment with a change of all four seasons. We can see the splendor of the view such as beautiful mountain ridges, straight horizon in the distance and peaceful snowscape. The artists who live in Hokkaido creates works with the view every day, and the view makes to nurture and

develop their creativity.

 

The art works will be crossed the sea to Taiwan, and the art works will be surrendered to the views of people who lives in Taiwan. The visitors to the exhibition will see the art works with their own memory, sensibility and experience, and then it will be provided an opportunity to get to know themselves. The exhibition will see things from a different perspective, the image of Hokkaido from Taiwan, or the view of Taiwan from Hokkaido, which will lead to future exchanges.

The selected four artists are based in Hokkaido, and they create works with variable expression on each genre.

 

Rie Kawakami is a sculptor, mainly produces sculptures, installations and interactive works from metal. For many years, she has faced metal to explore various expressions, from light weight works of wire rods to heavy works in large scale. For many years, she has faced metal to explore various expressions,

from light works by using wire rods to large works comes with heavy weight. She also actively participates in overseas residence programs, where she creates and presents the works using not only metals but also the materials she encounters at her place of stay and the things she gained through interaction with the local community. In pursuing her theme of "view of life," she incorporates metal into the concept of her work, not just as a sculptural material, but as an important geological element of life. She received the award of the Sapporo Cultural Encouragement Award in 2012. For the exhibition, she is expected to stay at the facility for a certain period of time as a resident, with a plan to propose the production of interactive work, and produce works through interaction with the community.

 

Leo Fujisawa, whose activities are based in the Tarumae district of Tomakomai City, Hokkaido, is a metalwork artist and sculptor who uses materials such as iron, wood and textiles to expand his creative activities across a range of genres including industrial art, sculpture, installation, and the stage design.

He also presides over the nonprofit organization Tarumae arty Plus, in which artist and coordinators cooperate to publicize local cultural and artistic activities based in Tarumae, Fujisawa’s place of origin. The Tarumae arty Plus received the award of the Hokkaido Cultural Encouragement Award for the activities in 2017. He is expected to stay in Tainan as part of a residency program to create art works through interaction with a community. He has a plan to create art works “Absent Presence” series, which uses cords to visualize elements in the everyday, such as air and gravity. He focuses attention to the textile industry in Taiwan.

 

Erika Kusumi is a photo collages artist who creates an unrealistic world view with many layers photos which she takes. She takes pictures for the real, such as people, animals, buildings. She captures moments at different places and different times, and then creates digitally collages by using the photos. She received the award of the Sapporo Cultural Encouragement Award in 2020. She is highly appraised for the possibility of the genre-straddling for art expressions. She will exhibit her digital collages as one of an expression of contemporary art at the exhibition, and find to make contact with Taiwanese living today.

 

Yuka Kasai is one of the young Japanese-style painters from Hokkaido who attracts attention as an up-and-coming artist. She is painting with a unique perspective on the basis of traditional techniques and materials. She draws her inspiration from her daily life, and creates the charm of Japanese-style painting with her unique and own her style at the present time with the motify of small things such as just a thought, hear in passing and another perspective what she is seeing. This will be first exhibition overseas for her. We hope that it will be great opportunity to express Japanese-style painting with her fresh eye.

 

In Tainan, a place where historical streets and contemporary art are alive and well, we hope that visitors to the exhibition will enjoy the differences of sensibilities and cultural memory through the eyes of Hokkaido artists. The exhibition is expected to be an opportunity for cultural exchange between

Hokkaido, Japan and Tainan, Taiwan.