Toshimasa Kikuchi got a doctor's degree of conservation and restoration of a sculpture at Tokyo Art Univ in 2008, then he belongs to The Univ Museum, The Univ of Tokyo. His art works are exhibited in IMT, the permanent exhibition of the scientific and cultural heritage accumulated by the Univ of Tokyo.

Toshimasa sublimates scientific models represented by a numerical expression into his artistic production by Japanese traditional technique of wooden sculpture. This traditional technique is thought to be the nearest universal technique to stand the test of time. The motif of his art work, the world of science is also believed to have universality - free from the border, language, culture and religion etc. On the other hand, "ART" has been buffeted by many isms and methods, and changed greatly depending upon the historical back drop. Toshimasa believes that the mission of contemporary art as academic study is to release a new field free from any definitions such as "classic" or "avant-garde".

This title "Rational and Irrational" comes from Naum Gabo's theory of art, "Realist Manifesto" was that art needed to exist actively in four dimensions including time. Gabo is a prominent Russian sculptor in the Constructivism movement and a pioneer of Kinetic Art. The word rational(irrational) also has a meaning of a rational(irrational) number in a mathematical world.

Toshimasa's creation to bring an traditional technique into scientific model is his challenge to make his art work present to art history as one and only beyond the pressure of time. He makes his art works freely go back and forth between rational and irrational.
In this exhibition, we exhibit 19 works that were inspired by German scientific models which was made during 19c~20c.

*image (left)
Geometrical Form - 011, 2013,
hinoki, varnishing with lacquer, pigment, 25 x 29 x 65cm
courtesy of the artist and Megumi Ogita Gallery