Yumiko Chiba Associates is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Yuichi Higashionna Ubiq.

Yuichi Higashionna creates not only paintings and objet but approaches space in fashion unique to himself . He carries out the installation with the use of ordinary and familiar materials, especially the motif related to the interior.

Lots of fluorescent tubes are used in the series of “Chandelier” that Higashionna has been continuously producing since 2001. He uses LED for the first time in his new works of this exhibition. The circle type fluorescent tubes, which became widespread in the Japanese houses after the World War II, symbolize the mentality and sensitivity of Japanese people who like white, bright and flat lights. And, Higashionna’s ambivalent sentiment toward this “fluorescent-oriented” culture is reflected in the Chandelier series. 

Moreover, his new paintings have been inspired with latticework and blinds. It could be considered that these motifs divide the interior and the exterior, and at the same time they unconsciously function as the border of our recognition and the environment composing our recognition. Also, his interest in the old and new theme concerning paintings,” abstraction and concreteness” can be glimpsed in his expressions.

This exhibition presents Higashionna’s new works, the series of Chandelier and paintings as well as video work which will be presented after a long time since 2008. 

Artist Statement
A question and mystery: why do Japanese people like white and bright lighting? And my concern about the interior. These factors provoked me into creation of my works. My intention for the works is as follows:
The private interior reflects our real self (habit and taste). At the same time, one could also read the exterior which forms the interior, meaning our sense of value to be shared, the transcendental eyes and the suppression. But the suppression is different from what it used to be. It has now become an environment which is fractionalized and is ubiquitous. We accept it by choice and even find it comfortable.
We do not feel it, nor see it. It is as if “interior” shown in Katakana only means “inside of room” or “interior decoration”, so its original meaning, “inside part of something” is hidden and make us forget it. 

The work emphasizes a certain meaning in itself thoroughly as if leading something “invisible” to “visible”. 

*image (left)
© Yuichi Higashionna, Courtesy of Yumiko Chiba Associates