Masato AKAI “UTSUSE no HO”

Gallery OUT of PLACE TOKIO is very pleased to announce a new exhibition "UTSUSE no HO" 
by Masato AKAI ( sculpture, installation)  for  December - January period.

Until now, Masato Akai has mainly produced and presented two-dimensional paintings, but for this exhibition, he will present black woodcarvings of various sizes.
Once carved, Akai boldly burns the carvings to carbonize the surface of the piece, then applies further carvings or embeds stones, and then repeatedly polishes to complete the work.
The black figures, standing quietly, are reminiscent of demons said to be lurking in the deep mountains of Yoshino, or of Shugendo monks wandering along the path of the beasts.
Please take this opportunity to view Akai's sculptures.


Utsuse no Ho
The land where I was born and still live, the Kii Mountains, has a long history, a unique culture and animistic folk beliefs. My grandfather told me old stories and folk tales. The nature, climate and scenery of the mountains change from day to day. The caves in the mountains, where the prayers of ascetics echoed in the mountains and the soot-smoked caves of goma burners were my playground when I was a child.

The scenery of these memories has been a big part of my work. Up to now I have been mainly producing paintings, but in the last few years I have been thinking about how to express the movement of the mountains of Kii more strongly, and I have started to produce large scale works of art using wood, a material that is close at hand. While confronting the natural material, I thought about transforming the images I got from painting into three-dimensional forms.

Furthermore, in order to express my unique black color, I decided to venture into the use of fire. Fire is both an important source of positive energy and negative energy for humans. I want to repeat the process of carving and painting the wood, burning it, and then carving it again, and express the movement of the mountain through repeated dialogue. I feel that by letting nature take its course, I am able to draw out the inner power of matter and the essence of things.

The title "Utsuse no Ho" is a coined word combining 
Utsuse = depression, emptiness, and empty 
Ho = fire, and female yin, cave.

Text: Masato Akai November 2020