An exhibition “Sakiyama x Guandu Taiwan-Japan Sculpture Exhibition” is currently held at Aki Gallery. Aki gallery brings viewers to take a look of art style from Guandu in Taipei to Sakiyama in Japan. Thirty one artists from two different countries shine in this exhibition and show totally distinct art styles.

Get ready to be part of sculpture world from Sakiyama! For the artists who studied in Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, it is not necessary to bind their works with the theories. Sometimes their creation is nothing about any kinds of theories. “The reason asking why an artist creates is just like ask them why you breathe”. These artists combine their environment with art, emphasizing the temperature of the process of hand making. Even though the university is really far away from the central city and the information and communication technology is not that highly developed, a rare local material “red soil” makes the techniques of pottery become the most crucial and influential in art history of Japan. For the artists from Taiwan, these kinds of simple, unadorned and pure works attract them a lot. In this unique environment of Sakiyama, these artists and the works from them have special charms.

In the other hand, Taipei National University of the Arts in Guandu shares similar geographic conditions with Sakiyama such as far from the central city. However, the convenience of information and frequency of art events in Guandu are much easier than Sakiyama. The artists in Guandu try to develop new and fascinating method to create art works at all times, such as Chiu, Ya Hui who uses weave as part of her sculptures, and an artist Huang, Kuan Chun craves his works by acrylic paints. At the same time, they also aim to make their statement and theory closer to their works. Frankly speaking, the artists from Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts are more like recluses that creates works not just by their hands also with their soul. Also they try to make a conversation with their surroundings. But, the artists from Sakiyama dedicate to think with their brains, and attempt to make something which is not just piece of sculpture but also a reflection showing the current social situations.

*image (left)
The scene of bright red apron, 2013
Mixed media, Dimensions variable
© Chihiro Yamashita

Coudtesy of AKI Gallery