Shioyasu Tomoko Throbbing Pulse

SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Tokyo
Private European Collection

This work is generally in good condition. Please note that it was not examined under ultraviolet light.
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Tomoko Shioyasu

Oftentimes, contemporary Japanese art is equated with the hugely influential Superflat movement as coined by Murakami Takashi, or perhaps seen through the lens of kawaii, as evidenced by Nara Yoshitomo’s adorable oeuvre, or perhaps yet, the splendid Pop images created by Kusama Yayoi. The present sale presents a group of young, emerging, and talented Japanese artists who together represent a departure from such larger movements. Collectively, they represent the artistic forms of minimalism, the figurative, surrealism, and even abstraction. These young artists’ works breathe new life into the discourse of contemporary Japanese art, offering their audiences entirely new perspectives on such an established art form.

Born in 1981 Osaka, Japan, Tomoko Shioyasu majored in architecture in Kyoto City University of Arts and completed her degree in 2004 with an Origin Award awarded by the University. In 2005 she won the Grand Prix at the 6^th Spiral Independent Creators Festival, and exhibited in “Kyoto Art Map 2006” at Dohjidai Gallery, Kyoto (2006) and “Tomoko Shioyasu Breathing Wall, Blessing Wall” at INAX Gallery, Tokyo (2006) in the following year. Most recently, she held a solo exhibition “Cutting Insights” at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Tokyo (2008). The artist’s selected group exhibitions include shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (2010), “Playing in Layers” at Artcourt Gallery, Osaka (2008), and “VOCA, the Vision of Contemporary Art 2007” at The Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo (2007).

Shioyasu’s working method consists of delicate cutting, ironing and drawing repetitively by hand. Her massive scale tapestries consequently create a consistent rhythmic flow, which resemble the spirit of nature, from which artist herself draws inspiration from. As her works are met with great acclaim, she received the “Most Promising Young Talent Prize” granted by the Gotoh Memorial Foundation in 2008.