We are thrilled to announce the upcoming solo show titled 'Ishi to Hoshi,'(Stone and Star) by Kengo Kito, opening on October 31st, coinciding with Art Collaboration Kyoto.

Kito is known for his large-scale installations that repurpose mass-produced objects, such as fabrics, ribbons, strings, and mirrors that incorporate circulation, rotation, reflections, and transmissions to embrace the fullness of light.

In this exhibition, incorporating marble —— a material used by humans since ancient times for sculptures —— Kito deepens his exploration of "materiality" alongside his ongoing examination of light phenomena.

Kito views this metamorphic rock, formed by the intense heat and pressure of magma and solidified as sedimentary deposits of coral, marine animal bones, shells, and other remnants of life, as a crystallization of life's dynamism and the earth’s material cycles. By suspending marble in the exhibition space, he creates the form of a planet, evoking its celestial presence.

In the Gutai Art Manifesto, Jiro Yoshihara stated that material begins to tell a story, even to scream when it exposes its qualities as material.Kito lets the marble reveal its intrinsic essence, resonating throughout the exhibition space.

Kengo Kito | Born in 1977 in Aichi, Japan. Kito earned an MFA in Painting from Kyoto City University of the Arts in 2003 and is now a professor at at the Graduate School of Kyoto University of the Arts.

Kito has created large-scale installations incorporating mass-produced objects, such as fabrics, ribbons, strings, and mirrors. In "Untitled (hula-hoop)," the artist interconnected hundreds of vibrant hula hoops and integrated them throughout the exhibition space. Similarly, "Ghost Flowers," showcased thousands of hand mirrors reflecting images of flowers. Kito has delved into expanding the meanings embedded within an array of ready-made materials.

Kito considers this arrangement of ready-made objects in space as akin to the process of painting. The artist’s exploration encompasses the dynamic interplay of color, form, and light in both installation and painting contexts. For Kito, series of paintings are not conceived as standalone paintings but rather as installations. By seamlessly transitioning between elements of both disciplines, the artist blurs the boundaries between painting and installation, fostering interaction between them.

Major exhibitions include "Unity on the Hudson" at the Hudson River Museum, NY, U.S. (2023), "Lines" at KAAT Kanagawa Art Theatre, Kanagawa, Japan (2022), "RECONNECTING" at Japan House, Los Angeles, CA, U.S. (2021), "DOMANI: The Art of Tomorrow Exhibition 2021" at The National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan (2021), and "Full Lightness" at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Kyoto, Japan (2020).