Mariane (Maiko Matsuo) was born in São Paulo, Brazil and spent her girlhood in Singapore. In 2003, she graduated from Kyoto Saga Art College with a degree in Illustration. Her painting was described as: 'painted with incredibly high painting skills but spontaneously unfolded on the works’ when she received the Incentive Award at the 10th Gunma Biennale for Young Artists 2010. In this first solo exhibition at Gallery Jin, 15 new acryl gouache paintings on Japanese paper will be exhibited.

In her paintings, bright colored and strangely formed creatures painted by sensitive brush strokes and they are hard to recognize animals or plants. Their appearance looks like creatures live in deep waters or the tropics and make us feel coquettishly tempted. However, at the same time, they seem to radiate a happy-go-lucky atmosphere and we feel as if we are teased by them. In painting, she always has a motivation to create a primitive energy to live life by seizing the swaying body senses. These bizarre creatures in her paintings are one of numerous images of life she has.

The title of this exhibition is “ja dormiu? –Are you already fall asleep? –". In slumber, we faintly feel sound, smell and touch feeling of reality. For Mariane and maybe even for us, these senses can be more suggestive than senses during wakefulness and will be milestone of new life.

Artist Comment
Unrealistic things are going along by linked with nature.
In this half year, I frequently dream a dream.
Though I feel as if I am dreaming, my body doesn’t allow me to sleep.
In half-slumber, I surround myself with my paintings in studio every day.
When I start painting, my body and heart are becoming blended.
I enjoy the things I couldn’t achieve and the things I will achieve.
This way, my body leaps me in reality.
Same as it did in slumber land I felt until a while ago.
ja dormiu?
From here, I want whisper you when you fall asleep.
Here, the place I can see your breath.