Mika Ninagawa
17 Nov - 09 Dec 2006
MIKA NINAGAWA
"Everlasting Flowers 2"
Nov.17.Fri.2006 - Dec.9.Sat
Opening reception: Nov.17.Fri. 6 - 8pm
Tomio Koyama Gallery is pleased to present Everlasting Flowers 2, an exhibition that will be held from November 17th until December 9th, 2006, by photographer Mika Ninagawa.
Mika Ninagawa was born in Tokyo, 1972. She graduated from the Department of Graphic Design at Tama Art University in 1997 and is now based in Tokyo. During her student days, she received various awards such as the 9th Photography "Hitotsubo Show" and the 13th Canon New Cosmos of Photography Exhibition. Following her graduation she has won numerous awards, including the 9th Konica Photo Encouragement Award (1998), the 26th Ihei Kimura Award (2001), and the Ohara Museum of Art Award at the 13th VOCA Exhibition (2006). After starting a career in magazines and advertising, she assembled a rich and eclectic portfolio, which impressed the growing fan base who came to her exhibitions. In recent years she has also challenged the role of movie director; it is fair to describe her as one of the most active young female photographers.
This exhibition is her second solo exhibition at the Tomio Koyama Gallery since the 2004 exhibition photographs 2001-2004. Her other major solo exhibitions have been Baby Blue Sky (1999) at the Shinjuku Konica Plaza; Acid bloom (2003) at NADiff, Tokyo and ROCKET, Tokyo; Liquid Dreams (2003) at the Shibuya Parco Museum and Nagoya Parco Gallery; and Mika Ninagawa Photo Exhibition, Electic (2005) in London. Her group exhibitions have included Contemporary Japanese Photographic Art: Topics on Happiness (2003) at Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Takarazuka: The Land of Dreams (2004) at the Suntory Museum, Osaka and Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery; and Artist's Gardens - Botanical Recollections (2005) which was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum.
The artificial flowers customarily offered in cemeteries in sunny Guam, Mexico, and Saipan serve as the motif of the exhibition. Under the intense sunlight, the brilliantly colored flowers appear to be full of life - as if they were real. The overpowering colors of the flowers leave an impression that cannot be expressed as merely cute or pretty; instead, they exude a sense of the drama between life and death. While Ninagawa's photos are devoid of people, the flowers offer a sense of consciousness that allows us to glimpse life in other lands through the eternally living flowers given to the dead. Since she first encountered this motif in 2000, Mika Ninagawa has been more enchanted by these everlasting flowers. We hope that you enjoy the opportunity to view the twenty large and over sixty smaller works that are to be displayed.
Shogakkan is publishing a 120-page catalogue of works from Everlasting Flowers in time for the exhibition. (Size: 270mm x 190mm.) Copies will be on sale from November 10th and cost 3,885 yen (tax included). In addition to the exhibition at the Tomio Koyama Gallery, the exhibition Everlasting Flowers 1 will be held at Tokyo Wonder Site in Shibuya from November 11th until the 26th.
Tomio Koyama Gallery Press: Tomoko Omori, Tel +81-3-3642-4090
© Mika Ninagawa
Everlasting Flowers
2006
c-print
"Everlasting Flowers 2"
Nov.17.Fri.2006 - Dec.9.Sat
Opening reception: Nov.17.Fri. 6 - 8pm
Tomio Koyama Gallery is pleased to present Everlasting Flowers 2, an exhibition that will be held from November 17th until December 9th, 2006, by photographer Mika Ninagawa.
Mika Ninagawa was born in Tokyo, 1972. She graduated from the Department of Graphic Design at Tama Art University in 1997 and is now based in Tokyo. During her student days, she received various awards such as the 9th Photography "Hitotsubo Show" and the 13th Canon New Cosmos of Photography Exhibition. Following her graduation she has won numerous awards, including the 9th Konica Photo Encouragement Award (1998), the 26th Ihei Kimura Award (2001), and the Ohara Museum of Art Award at the 13th VOCA Exhibition (2006). After starting a career in magazines and advertising, she assembled a rich and eclectic portfolio, which impressed the growing fan base who came to her exhibitions. In recent years she has also challenged the role of movie director; it is fair to describe her as one of the most active young female photographers.
This exhibition is her second solo exhibition at the Tomio Koyama Gallery since the 2004 exhibition photographs 2001-2004. Her other major solo exhibitions have been Baby Blue Sky (1999) at the Shinjuku Konica Plaza; Acid bloom (2003) at NADiff, Tokyo and ROCKET, Tokyo; Liquid Dreams (2003) at the Shibuya Parco Museum and Nagoya Parco Gallery; and Mika Ninagawa Photo Exhibition, Electic (2005) in London. Her group exhibitions have included Contemporary Japanese Photographic Art: Topics on Happiness (2003) at Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Takarazuka: The Land of Dreams (2004) at the Suntory Museum, Osaka and Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery; and Artist's Gardens - Botanical Recollections (2005) which was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum.
The artificial flowers customarily offered in cemeteries in sunny Guam, Mexico, and Saipan serve as the motif of the exhibition. Under the intense sunlight, the brilliantly colored flowers appear to be full of life - as if they were real. The overpowering colors of the flowers leave an impression that cannot be expressed as merely cute or pretty; instead, they exude a sense of the drama between life and death. While Ninagawa's photos are devoid of people, the flowers offer a sense of consciousness that allows us to glimpse life in other lands through the eternally living flowers given to the dead. Since she first encountered this motif in 2000, Mika Ninagawa has been more enchanted by these everlasting flowers. We hope that you enjoy the opportunity to view the twenty large and over sixty smaller works that are to be displayed.
Shogakkan is publishing a 120-page catalogue of works from Everlasting Flowers in time for the exhibition. (Size: 270mm x 190mm.) Copies will be on sale from November 10th and cost 3,885 yen (tax included). In addition to the exhibition at the Tomio Koyama Gallery, the exhibition Everlasting Flowers 1 will be held at Tokyo Wonder Site in Shibuya from November 11th until the 26th.
Tomio Koyama Gallery Press: Tomoko Omori, Tel +81-3-3642-4090
© Mika Ninagawa
Everlasting Flowers
2006
c-print