The Eyes of the Skin

Outline of the exhibition

The Eyes of the Skin

MARUEIDO JAPAN is pleased to announce the holding of an exhibition called Eyes of the Skin by artists Kanako Kitabayashi, Tomomi Hanzawa and Anna Yamanishi. This exhibition is inspired by the expression "eyes of the skin" from the book The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses by Finnish architect and phenomenologist Juhani Pallasmaa.

Kanako Kitabayashi mainly presents art, such as sculptures and installations, in which different materials such as yarn, wood, glass and wool, etc., are crossed with . Her art has the theme of tactile properties and sensations that stimulate the tactile sense of the viewer and evoke "something" in everyday memory.
Her work makes us realize that reality is the relationship between materials, the relationship between viewers and artworks, and ambiguous memories that are evoked under the skin.

Tomomi Hanzawa creates unique sculptural art which is focused on the origins of . She uses the raw materials for paper, which is made from the pulp of plant fibers, and takes that pulp to build up layers to create a solid object. Hanzawa exhibits 2D and 3D works and installations created by applying paper making techniques. The paper, each fiber of which is formed by hand, is overlayered with her own experiences, and within her ponderings, she internalizes time and memories into her work.

Anna Yamanishi is based in Kyoto and she mainly uses the material of . She feels the attraction of soft, raw expression, innocent appearance, and transparency, etc., of everyday "things" such as cloth and strings, and creates art. Her motif is the surface of "things" that are familiar to everyone, and she carves smooth expressions into wood as if she is lifting up sensations that may be overlooked, and momentary time, etc. The beautiful grain of the wood encompasses natural energy and evokes the sensation of touching the surface of the body.

References Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses
(2022 Soshisha/translated by Kaori Aida)