This exhibition of KOBO-SYU presented by MAKII MASARU FINE ARTS features 8 male artists, in contrast with its last year's show at MMFA by 6 female artists, "Girls Meeting." Differently handicapped, each of the eight men devises his original style of expression with depth and weight of sensibility. 

To give expression to his feelings is so important that it's equivalent to living itself for each of them, as if they can't stay alive without making expressions. Dealing with various materials such as paints, crayons, oil colors, plywood pieces and so on, they create something that we aren't sure enough to call a picture or sculpture or other; that are all on the border. But because they create on the border, free from any standards, we see in their expressions plain reality of human life.

Unique styles of their own have not been developed by formal education in fine art, but have naturally grown in their everyday relation with the real world. We feel that they create the essence of art by making fundamental personal expressions earnestly, instead of being enclosed in the established system of fine art. It seems to me they perform primitive magic of art while they are working, uttering secret incantations.

Their works will throw a big question to you, making a deep impact on your soul.

by Hiroaki NAKATSUGAWA, Art director of KOBO-SYU/Artist