We are pleased to hold Ai Makita's solo exhibition "13・17". Her images of machines are so sophisticated and precise that the viewers cannot imagine they are painted by human hands. However, there is her insight into human nature and the universe behind them. Looking at them closely, one can find that they are lively like brain vessels, and can feel human nature that tries to approach the sublime of nature by producing technologies. She attempts to paradoxically think about human nature and the universe by depicting machines.

The organ-like shape and the glazed metal of Makita's paintings remind us of motorbikes. Actually, she uses motorbikes such like Harley-Davidson as the motif for her works. She takes photo of parts of the bikes and collage them to make one piece of work. Hearing her saying "I used to ride on motorcycle", one may imagine that she attempts to depict the detail of motorbikes precisely. However, her purpose is different.

Makita said "I'm interested in the overwhelming phenomena like natural disasters that human beings are unable to control and like the enormous technology beyond the understanding of one person. The reason why I use motorbikes is I think their sophisticated combination of function and design seem to be linked to the enigma of technology. I feel like I can create something bigger than the original motorcycle by recomposing it on the canvas."

Her new work "Cosmoplastics" that she represented at the completion exhibition of the doctor course of Tokyo University of the Arts was the culmination of what she has done for these years. Its huge canvas (200cm×130cm) seems the monster of machine that controls the order of the world.

"I'm going to present the same size work for the solo exhibition held at Ai Kowada Gallery in October. What I'm gonna use as motif is periodical cicadas. They appears on the earth every 13 and 17 years, and nobody knows its reason. I have a sense of awe and feel the enormous technology of nature by these kinds of mysteries."

Kant defined the concept of "sublime" from the natural phenomena out of control of human beings in 18th century and it had big impact on the artists at the time. Makita probably attempts to represent the sublime in the contemporary world through the paintings of machines that help and threat the human life.
- text by Taisuke Shimanuki

Courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery