EXHIBITIONS

-Tokyo International Gallery presents ” PLACE ,” a solo exhibition of new works by up-and-coming artist KINJO

Tokyo International Gallery (Tennozu, Shinagawa) is pleased to present “PLACE,” a solo exhibition of new works by up-and-coming artist KINJO. KINJO is an artist who creates corporate logos and products. KINJO is an artist who creates paintings using symbols of consumer society as motifs, such as corporate logos and product packaging. With his family roots in Okinawa, Kinjo’s work is characterized by the large influence of American culture that he has been exposed to since childhood through Okinawa. In addition to these symbols of the consumer society, his paintings are also characterized by the appearance of glowing eyeballs in the dark and multicolored snakes, which are based on his own childhood fear of the stares of other people. At first glance, KINJO’s works give the impression of Pop Art, but as mentioned earlier, they are formed from his own personal experiences and memories. Unlike the flat, iconic expression of Pop Art, Kinjo’s style is characterized by a rough touch and fragmented depiction of motifs. In some series of works, he departs from the format of painting by tearing and sewing the canvas together. KINJO says, “I am inspired by the places and things I find on my walks, especially the old factories and the wide river in my environment. He says, “I am inspired by places and things I find on my walks. The works sometimes appear to be cut-outs of painted factory exteriors or billboards, evoking a sense of time and environmental change accumulated in the city. Taking personal experiences and perspectives as a starting point, KINJO’s expression of cutting up/remixing fragments of the urban environment and consumer systems is in line with “Micropop” (integrating fragments gathered from various sources, without relying on institutional ethics or major ideologies, as proposed by critic Midori Matsui in 2007, ), an attitude of creating a unique way of life and aesthetics by integrating fragments from various sources, without relying on institutional ethics or major ideologies.