FOIL GALLERY is pleased to announce a solo exhibition of Hiroko Inoue "Inside-Out", from 3rd April - 25th April, 2009 at FOIL GALLERY.

The scenes in "Inside-Out" are telling us that they are not those of special stories from some remote exotic land, but that they are scenes from the daily lives of you and me. By turning our heart "Inside-Out", what do we see? This photographs are urging the critical indwelling spirit to "Wake up!". Reiko Kokatsu
Chief Curator, Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts
A sculptor artist, Hiroko Inoue has been actively produced her interdisciplinary works both in Japan and abroad.

This, "Inside-Out", is particularly a photographic series of works she has continuously, over 10 years, photographed with a motif of "window" of isolated and locked up places such as a mental hospital and a concentrate camp.

Prompted by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Erthquake, which seriously destroyed everyday lives of the inhabitants, including the artist herself, and deeply traumatized them in many ways, she started taking photographs with the motif.

This theme then brought her visit all over the world, from Germany, Austria, to Yemen and Alaska, where she saw many people seriously damaged seriously both mentally and physically.
Lifeless iron-bars, ceiling and walls of ruins-like buildings, bedclothes which still keep the warmth of a person...

Facing with such closed silent spaces, conversely, we are really made to realize that hopes can be found in the relationships of people.

Through the windows represented in her works , although any human figures are never appeared, this "absence" would rather let us strongly sense the existence of life.

The viewpoint of Inoue, in whom photographs the influence of her deeply rooted experiences are reflected, the signs of life around the windows, and eyes of us - the viewers of works - each of those emotions cross on the works "Inside-Out" and make you think that we are living through the chains of relationship, even in this era of confusion.

The views, one from inside of the room through a camera of the artist, one from the outside separated by the window, and another of us- the viewers of this work- are crossed on this exhibition "Inside-Out". During the period, we'll be showing about 20 photography and light box works. Same titled first photo book of the artist will be also published.