AI KOWADA GALLERY is pleased to present “Outside the Box”, an exhibition of paintings by Rico Ogata.

Rico Ogata (b.1994) has gained public acclaim for her paintings imbued with rich color and the freedom of lines through participations in many exhibitions such as the ones held at the Citizen’s Galleries in the Setagaya Art Museum and the National Art Center, Tokyo.

The show’s main focus is a unique picture of 275x220cm in size that reveals an unconventional image of Mt. Fuji, one of the most popular (and banal) subjects for paintings in the history of modern Japanese art. Ogata tackled the large two dimensional space with bold brushstrokes in bright colours that have been applied with decisiveness and precision without a hint of hesitation.

Ogata was born with Down’s syndrome, and having difficulty with verbal interaction, she has employed art as a powerful tool for communication. She has actively associated with society through participations in various kinds of local events as an artist, and has provided illustrations for package designs for commercial products like beer or confectionary.

In tableaux, Ogata employs bold brushstrokes often overrunning the canvas area to design the pictorial space. The whole composition is in dynamic animation to the extent that it yields an anticipation for a spatial rupture, the crucial character of her work. In a way, her paintings present the landscape that exists beyond the orthodox framework of thinking so as to tell a story about a world different from the one we normally believe in, encouraging us to think “outside the box”. The show title “Outside the Box” also refers to Ogata’s growth from childhood to adulthood and the conflicts arising from this. Furthermore, it also manifests a will for removing the shackles that society binds itself with, while at the same time imposing them upon the handicapped.

In 2015, AI KOWADA GALLERY engaged in the management of “World Autism Awareness Day” which took place at Itochu Aoyama Art Square and other venues around Aoyama, Tokyo, and presented more than sixty handicapped artists. The event was reported in the major media such as NHK news, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Sankei Shimbun. Also, in January, 2016, the gallery moved to its present location at 3331 Arts Chiyoda, an art complex hosting various events under the project titled “Place of Core＋Relation ART”, which aims to develop a platform that generates mutual influence among the handicapped and the non-handicapped.

Thus, under these contexts, the gallery believes its presentation of Ogata’s brilliant talent in the form of a solo show to be most appropriate and hopes that visitors may immerse themselves in the uniqueness of her art.

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Rico OGATA
Born in Tokyo in 1994.
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2010: “Art Mirai International Art Exhibition”, The National Art Center, Tokyo.
2012: “The 30th Peace Art Show”, The Setagaya Museum of Art
2014: “3331 Independent”, 3331 Arts Chiyoda
2014: “FANTASTIC DAYS”, TAMBOURIN GALLERY

Information Provided by: AI KOWADA GALLERY

Period: November 19,2016 (Sat)　〜 December 4,2016 (Sun)
Hours: 2pm-6pm
Closed: Open every day of the exhibition period. *Appointment is required during November 28 - December 4.
Venue: AI KOWADA GALLERY