IRO IRO - Japan, in Colour, with KAWADA Daisaku and OSUGA Jiro, presents the varied works of two artists, both born in Japan, who have studied and now live in the UK. Iro iro means 'variety' in Japanese and iro is the word for 'colour'. In this show, in their own distinctive ways, both artists look at various perceptions of Japan, in colour.
Daisaku graduated from Tokyo's Meiji University and the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art. Although strikingly contemporary and very much of the here and now, his bold and vivid works explore colour and pattern, often with a nod to the rich heritage of Japan. At the same time they are complex and simple, chaotic and ordered: their energy lies in these dichotomies.
Although born in Tokyo, Jiro has spent most of his life in the UK. He graduated from the Chelsea School of Art and also the Royal College of Art. This dislocation from the country of his birth is behind a lot of Jiro's work, as he challenges cliches and stereotypes. His varied installations in this exhibition encourage the visitor to interact and participate in this playful look at Japan. |
