24 may 2024, Flor Linckens
Urban fractures and abstract forms in EVA STEYNEN GALLERY
Until 15 June, EVA STEYNEN GALLERY in Antwerp presents a duo exhibition featuring works by two artists who approach the world with a certain contemplative slowness. They pause to reflect on things that others take for granted. The Belgian artist Wannes Lecompte primarily works as a painter, while the Japanese artist Ken'ichiro Taniguchi mainly creates sculptures.
Ken'ichiro Taniguchi studied Fine Arts at Hokkaido University and currently divides his time between Berlin and Sapporo. His practice is characterised by Hecomi, a Japanese term used to describe a dent, depression, or crack in a surface. It is often used to refer to damage to a car, but the term can be more broadly applied to any surface that is dented or deformed. Taniguchi is fascinated by these cracks and fissures (or negative spaces) in the urban landscape, often caused by nature. This damage is frequently viewed as negative, but the artist seeks ways to transform it into something light, movable and positive.
For his three-dimensional and foldable works, Taniguchi uses hard, hand-cut PVC in a distinctive yellow colour, connecting the elements with materials such as brass, wood, steel and hinges. The resulting counterpart to the negative space that inspired the work appears surprisingly organic, resembling a coral-like life form. Simultaneously, the seemingly weightless works evoke the appearance of cut-out paper. Sometimes the artist places these negative forms back into their original context (the original crack), which has a particularly satisfying effect. Until 18 June, the artist will participate in a residency program, mapping Antwerp in this unique way. The names of his works often reference the locations that inspired the specific pieces. His work has been included in the collections of Fondation Maeght, the DKV Foundation, and Museum Rotterdam, among others.
