YUICHI HIRAKO

WORKS  (2014-2019)

OVER DE KUNSTENAAR / ABOUT THE ARTIST

Yuichi Hirako (Okayama, 1982) studeerde aan het Wimbledon College of Art in Londen. In zijn werk onderzoekt hij de menselijke relatie met de natuur, specifiek de relatie tussen de mens en het woud. Hoewel we in ons dagelijks leven omringd zijn door planten, is er een duidelijke scheiding tussen mens en natuur. Hirako streeft ernaar deze scheidslijn te doorbreken, soms door plant en mens letterlijk te combineren. De sprookjesachtige sfeer in zijn schilderijen, tekeningen en sculpturen herinnert aan het droomachtige, symbolische werk van de Duits-Amerikaanse kunstenaar Max Ernst, die figuren opbouwde uit dierlijke en menselijke elementen. Hirako’s werk is echter geworteld in Japanse folklore. De symbolische betekenis van het plantleven is cultureel bepaald: terwijl het bos in het westen meestal wordt afgeschilderd als een duistere plek, is het woud in de Japanse traditie een heilige plaats. Hij verkent deze associaties en betekenissen en brengt ze bij elkaar in beelden waarin natuur en cultuur naadloos in elkaar overgaan. Hirako woont en werkt in Tokyo.

Yuichi Hirako (Okayama, 1982) studied at the Wimbledon College of Art in London. In his work he explores the human relationship with nature, particularly between man and forest. Although we are surrounded by plants in our daily life, a clear division between man and nature exists. Hirako aims to break through this boundary, sometimes by literally combining plants and human beings. The fairytale-like atmosphere in his paintings, drawings, and sculptures is reminiscent of the dreamlike, symbolic work of German-American artist Max Ernst, who assembled figures from animal and human elements. Hirako’s work however, is rooted in Japanese folklore. The symbolic meaning of plant life is determined by culture and religion: while the forest is usually depicted as a dark, dangerous place in the west it is considered a sacred place in the Japanese tradition. He explores these associations and meanings and brings them together in images in which nature and culture seamlessly merge and interact. Hirako lives and works in Tokyo.

COLLECTIES / COLLECTIONS

AkzoNobel Art Foundation / VandenBroek Foundation / The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited, Japan ​/ Diverse particuliere collecties / Various private collections

SOLOTENTOONSTELLINGEN / SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019 ″Memories″ WAITINGROOM, Tokyo, Japan
2019 ″Lycoris″ Satellite, Okayama, Japan
2019 ″Dandelion” Zerp Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2018 ″Leftover” Dai-ichi Life Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2018 ″BLOOM” YIRI Arts Taipei Space, Taipei, Taiwan
2018 ″Seeding” YIRI Arts Taichung Space, Taichung, Taiwan
2018 ″Dazzling Leaves” Zerp Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

2018 Project N71: Yuichi HIRAKO, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Tokyo
2018 Salon d'Hiver, ZERP Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2017 ″SPROUT” Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017 ″Greening” Waiting Room, Tokyo, Japan
2016 ″Phantom Forest” YIRI ARTS Pier-2 Space, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2015 ″Bark Feeder” Dai-ichi Life Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2015 "Grafted tree", Waiting Room, Tokyo, Japan
2014 ″The Bark of Mind″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2014 "The leaf scar", waitingroom, Tokyo, Japan
2013 ″The Luminous Plant″ Satellite, Okayama, Japan
2013 "The Forest City" Sonnentor Fujin Arts Space, Taiwan, Taipei
2013 "The Thick Forest" The Drawing Room Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
2013 "The Leaf Scar" Waiting Room, Tokyo, Japan
2012 ″The Wooden Clapper″ The Drawing Room, Manila, The Philippines
2012 ″Selected Forest″ Satellite, Okayama, Japan
2012 ″Advanced Plants″ WALL/H.P.FRANCE, Tokyo, Japan
2012 ″The Green Pieces″ GALLERY MoMo Ryogoku, Tokyo, Japan
2012 ″Memories of My Garden : Hidden Forest″ INAX Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2012 ″Memories of My Garden : Mistletoe″ Tokyo Wonder Site Art Cafe kurage, Tokyo, Japan
2012 ″Sleeping in the Pine Forest″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2011″Yuichi Hirako Art Works″ SATELLITE, Okayama, Japan
2011 ″Memories of My Garden : Song″ Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo, Tokyo, Japan
2011″Tokyo Wonder Wall 2011 at Tocho″ Skywalk Exhibition Space at Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo, Japan
2010 ″Yuichi Hirako : Memories of My Garden″ GALLERY MoMo Ryogoku, Tokyo, Japan

GROEPSTENTOONSTELLINGEN / GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020″RISO IS IT″ OIL by Bijutsutecho Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2020″TOKYO☆VOCA″ Dai-ichi Life Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2020″Mr.I group show″ Satellite, Okayama, Japan
2020″Taichung Opening″ GIN HUANG Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
2019″December Mix Hang″ The Drawing Room, Manila, The Philippines
2019″Salon d’Hiver″ Zerp Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2019″XMAS’19″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2019″Painter and Human shape″ Erina Matsui’s Atelier, Tokyo, Japan
2019″Look and Talk″ Sakura City Museum of Art, Chiba, Japan
2019″CYGNUS LOOP″ Gallery BATON, Seoul, South Korea
2019″SUMMERTIME 19″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2018″LIGHT, NON-LIGHT″ Chapterii, Seoul, South Korea
2018″MUSUBI″ Galerie Da-End, Paris, France
2018″PLAYING FIELDS″ Zerp Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2018″SUMMERTIME 18″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017″All Artists″ Zerp Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

2017 ″SUMMERTIME 17″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017 ″New Works” The Drawing Room, Manila, The Philippines
2017 ″Après Toronto” Laroche/Joncas, Montréal, Canada
2016 'Happily Ever After', ZERP Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2016 'Sunny - A summer story', ZERP Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2016 "Summertime '16", Galerie Christopher Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2015 ″Inaugural Show” The Drawing Room, Manila, The Philippines
2015 ″XMAS’15″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2015 ″Egg of Shibuya” Shibuya City Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2015 ″KASAI NO HITO” YIRI ARTS Pier-2 Space, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2015 ″SUMMERTIME 15″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2015 ″HEISEI WAVE 2.0″ YIRI ARTS Fujin Space, Taipei, Taiwan
2015 ″Behind the painted smile″ Zerp Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlamds
2015 ″Eternal lines″ Zerp Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlamds
2015 ″Collections″ Gallery in The Dai-ichi Life Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2014 ''Salon Zerp'', Zerp Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2014 "11th INUJIMA JIKAN" INUJIMA, Okayama, Japan
2014 ″Collector's EYE ″ Kashiwa Public Gallery, Chiba, Japan
2014 ″Collections″ Gallery in The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited, Tokyo, Japan
2014 "Art Now:Memories of Body" Nagi Museum Of Contemporary, Okayama, Japan
2013 ″XMAS’13″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2013 "Art Now:Memories of Body" Takahashi Historial Museum, Okayama, Japan
2013 "Art Now:Memories of Body" Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza, Okayama, Japan
2013 "Considering the Source" Fouladi Projects, San Francisco, USA
2013 ″SUMMERTIME 13″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2013 "Snack JIKKA" JIKKA, Tokyo, Japan
2013 "GENESIS" Sonnentor Art Space, Taipei, Taiwan
2013 "PSYCHOTROPICS" The Drawing Room Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
2013 "VOCA Prize 2013" Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2013 ″Tokyo Painting II --Mindscape between interior and exterior--″ Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2013 ″HOTCHPOTCH″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2012 ″XMAS’12″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2012 ″SUMMERTIME 12″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2012 ″Back to the Nature″ Fuma Contemporary Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2011 ″Mr,I Prize″ Okayama Tenjinyama Plaza, Okayama, Japan
2011 ″XMAS’11″ Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark
2011 ″D Art Biennale Art Award 2011″ Y++ Gallery Triwizart, Beijing, China
2011 ″D Art Biennale″ Daitec, Aichi, Japan
2011 ″Arts Challenge 2011″　Aichi Arts Center, Aichi, Japan
2011 ″Regenerate- Part.1″　GALLERY MoMo Ryogoku, Tokyo, Japan
2010 ″The 10th Gunma Biennale for Young Artists 2010″ The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Japan
2010 ″Tokyo Wonder Wall 2010″ Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
2009 ″Amuse Art Jam 09″ The Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
2009 ″Shell Art Award 2009″ Daikanyama Hill Side Forum, Tokyo, Japan
2009 ″TOKYO WONDER SEEDS 2009″ WONDER SITE Sibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2008 ″GEISAI 11″ Tokyo Big Site, Tokyo, Japan
2006 ″Amuse Art Jam 06″ The Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
2006 ″Stepsiblings″ Temporary Contemporary, London, UK
2005 ″Cocktail″ Nolia’s Gallery, London, UK
2005″Free Range″ G3 Gallery, London, UK
2005 ″’05Degree show,″ Wimbledon School of Art, London, UK

KUNSTBEURZEN / ART FAIRS

2017 PAN Amsterdam, ZERP Galerie, Amsterdam, NL
2015 Art Rotterdam, ZERP Galerie, Rotterdam, NL
2014 PAN Amsterdam, ZERP Galerie, Amsterdam, NL
2014 Amsterdam Drawing, ZERP Galerie, Amsterdam, NL

PRIJZEN / AWARDS

2013 "VOCA(Vision of Contemporary Art)" The VOCA Encouragement Prize
2011 ″D Art Biennale″ Outstanding Performance Award
2011 ″Arts Challenge 2011″ Finalist Nominated
2010 ″The 10th Gunma Biennale for Young Artists 2010″ Finalist Nominated
2010 ″Tokyo Wonder Wall 2010″ Tokyo Wonder Wall Prize
2009 ″Shell Art Award 2009″ Finalist Nominated

OPLEIDING / EDUCATION