Yusuke Komuta's solo exhibition "Space｜aspec" at PARCEL The Installation view of "Space｜aspec" (2019) by Yusuke Komuta at PARCEL Courtesy of the artist and PARCEL In June this year, a new gallery, PARCEL, opened in Tokyo. As its second phase, a solo exhibition by Yusuke Komuta is being held from September 21 to October 31. Yusuke Komuta is one of the representative artists of SCAI THE BATH HOUSE and an up-and-coming artist born in Osaka. Despite the fact that he has not majored in either sculpture or painting, his works seem to be somewhere between sculpture and painting [1]. Along with these interesting figurative features, the themes of his work are as unique as the way he handles the materials. He has created a series of works based on the lines of airplanes and cranes with origami unfolded. Origami is a form of children's play and a type of craft in which paper is folded to create three dimensional objects. Airplanes and cranes are typical and representative of origami play. Origami is something in between paper and sculpture, with both two and three dimensional possibilities. Each time it is unfolded, the lines return to their original state as traces, even though it is paper. The lines are also traces of the origami algorithm. Komuta focused on this characteristic of origami. The Installation view of "Space｜aspec" (2019) by Yusuke Komuta at PARCEL Courtesy of the artist and PARCEL Komuta uses color to visualize the characteristics of this origami and divides it geometrically. The geometric division is expressed in various ways, sometimes with strong color changes and sometimes with subtle color gradations. As a result, Komuta's works may appear to be minimalist in style, but they are anything but simple. Furthermore, we can imagine what the unfolded origami once was itself. The unfolded image, the work itself, and the three-dimensional form of the work in our imagination enrich our way of viewing. As mentioned above, the works presented at "Space｜Aspec" take on a variety of forms. Paintings, flat sculptures, paintings with wrapped cloth protruding. Komuta's mirror series, in which origami lines are carved into polished mirrors, is also presented in this exhibition. According to gallery Parcel Tokyo, the series was exhibited on Inujima during the Setouchi International Art Festival 2014-2016, and also on the "Genbi Shinkansen," an art-friendly special train on the JR Joetsu Shinkansen since 2016. It will be a pleasure to explore the diversity of expression methods in this exhibition. During the exhibition, there will be a talk session on the theme of "Specifics about Abstract Painting. Contemporary artists, including Komuta, will participate in the talk session. The purpose of the talk session is to The Installation view of "Space｜aspec" (2019) by Yusuke Komuta at PARCEL Courtesy of the artist and PARCEL The gallery's intention is to reconfirm and validate where art and artists are today, even though market value is now a priority. More details will be announced by the gallery in the future. About Gallery Parcel Tokyo Parcel, the gallery where Komuta's work is exhibited, has a new opening in Tokyo in June 2019. The location is in the DDD Hotel. The current location was previously used as a parking lot and was renovated for the gallery. Because of its history, the space seems to have a special atmosphere that is hard to find in Tokyo. The gallery is managed by Taku Sato, former director of CLEAR EDITION & GALLERY, and Sakie Takasu, a member of the artist curatorial group SIDECORE. The interior and exterior of the hotel also resembles an art space. Be warned that you might get confused whether the entrance to the hotel is the entrance to a gallery or not. Also, the DDD Hotel is currently in pre-opening and is scheduled to open in December. Purcell Tokyo hopes to create a space that combines the functions of both a project space and a gallery, and will host a variety of programs that transcend domestic and international cultures and values. "Based on communication with artists and careful research, we are trying to look at various aspects of 'era,' 'society,' and 'context' from a contemporary perspective. Together with the new hotel, it is expected to be an attractive new space that will play a role in the contemporary art scene. Yusuke Komuta, "Space｜aspec", Tokyo, Japan Dates: September 21 (Sat) - October 31 (Sat), 2019 Opening hours Wed, Thu, Sun Fri, Sat: 14:00 - 20:00 We are closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and holidays. [1] Yusuke Komuta majored in Applied Arts from Kyoto University of Art and Design and Inter-Media Art from Tokyo University of the Arts. Article written by: Jeongeun Jo Born in Korea and currently lives in Japan. One of the members of TRiCERA, she graduated from the Graduate School of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts. She is also an artist in her own right.