21 November 2013 – 25 January 2014
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Celebrated in Paris for his enigmatic canvases that combine the sensuality of the female form with traditional Japanese motifs, Tchinai shows work at a debut solo exhibition in London this winter.
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The artist, now in his late sixties, creates a mesmerising visual world that hovers between the ethereal, the imaginary and reality. There are dreamy-faced women in kimonos, exotic butterflies and luxuriant flower forms, but so intensely observed and intricately painted that we see every knot in a tree trunk, every stamen in a flower. Tchinai borrows this intense gaze from 16th century Japanese painting of the Momoyama era, but brings a new aesthetic to it through the surreality of his compositions and his techniques. Instead of fine brushwork in precious metals, he sometimes applies whole blocks of gold and platinum leaf or coloured tissue to make a patchwork effect as a backdrop to the imagery.
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“I still remember the excitement and anticipation that preceded my first exhibition in Paris. ‘Tchinai Poésie Orientale’ was held in 2002, at Galerie Taménaga. Eleven years and four Paris exhibitions later, I can clearly see the many ways in which exhibiting in Europe has influenced my work. I am now looking forward to see how Londoners will respond to my paintings, and how exhibiting in London will inspire my work in the future”, says Tchinai.
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Following the gallery’s signature concept of showing art alongside interior pieces, the exhibition will include twenty-five new works by Kyosuke Tchinai, complemented by furniture, lighting and decorative objects inspired by the unique combination of ancient Japanese traditions and Western influences evident in Tchinai’s paintings. The “fountain” dining chairs cleverly marry a modern industrial aesthetic by using perforated galvanized steel on the back of the chairs with a sophisticated lamination process; a minimal Japanese screen opens up to reveal a glass shelved cabinet; the antique silks used on the lampshades are taken from historic Kimonos and contrast with the contemporary design of their base.
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“I am delighted to host Kyosuke Tchinai’s first London show at Gallery Elena Shchukina. I’ve long been fascinated by his unique ability to subtly infuse his work with elements from his Japanese heritage. His use of materials, approach to his subject and esoteric nature of his work all combine to produce paintings of real force and importance”, says curator Elena Shchukina.
Kyosuke Tchinai was born in Namikata Ohchi, in Japan, in 1948. Tchinai studied fine art at the National University of Fine Arts and Music in Tokyo, he received the “Excellence Price” at the Japanese young artists’ exhibition in 1988 and has exhibited extensively in Japan, including a solo exhibition of his work at the Nakata Museum in 2003 and a retrospective at the Ehime Fine Arts Museum in 2007. In 2002, Parisian Galerie Taménaga held his first solo exhibition in Europe and has been representing him since.
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Listings information
Kyosuke Tchinai | Autumn Bliss
21 November – 25 January 2013
Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday 9am – 6pm, Saturday – 9.30am – 6pm
Gallery Elena Shchukina
10 Lees Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 6LL
Telephone: 0207 499 6019
Email: info@galleryelenashchukina.com
Nearest tube stations: Marble Arch, Bond Street
www.galleryelenashchukina.com
Note to Editors:
Elena Shchukina was born and raised in Siberia. After completing a law degree at Moscow Law State Academy she decided to pursue her passion for art and design by studying at the Moscow Design School. The course involved periods of study in London and at the prestigious Instituto Marangoni in Milan, where she was inspired to start experimenting with furniture-making and painting herself. Part of the course requirement was to create themed environments, proposals for interiors where all the elements – art, furniture, wall coverings, floors and objects – would come together to create a harmonious whole. This sparked Elena’s imagination and she began to think about creating a new kind of gallery, one that, rather than showing art in a traditional ‘white cube’ format, would instead create a living space filled with painting, sculpture, furniture, objets and even lighting.
Moving to London in 2009, she completed a course at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and then began researching how best to create the new gallery concept. She visited art fairs and degree shows to discover uplifting work, focusing on artists and makers who show a mastery of their medium, who create vibrant pieces that bring a room or environment to life. During this research she met royal portraitist Zohar Israel, with whom she now studies painting. Colour and energy are all-important to her and the paintings, objects and furniture that will be displayed at Gallery Elena Shchukina will reflect this infectious verve for living.
