Kodama Gallery is pleased to open a solo exhibition, 'Kodama Gallery Project 42 - He' by Kaoru Okubo. Okubo debuted at Kodama Gallery through 'Memento Mori - Eros and Thanatos' curated by Hiroshi Sugimoto. His painting, sculpture and drawing installation based on 'body' got a great attention. A painting of a man's body in bold strokes is characteristic of his work.
Okubo uses 'body' found in magazine, internet or his picture as a motif. The purpose of work is nor 'mass' in a sculpture nor anatomical meaning. It seems to praise physically beautiful man but actually conceptually objectifies human body, and explores what it means. Thus, his work is based on belief, expressing 'body' rather than itself.
*image (left)
perfect body, 2013
oil on canvas, 162.5x130cm
courtesy of the artist and Kodama Gallery