We cordially invite you to Miwako Iga’s (b. 1966) solo exhibition, “Truly Sad Toys - The Open Secret”. Iga uses toy dolls for her photographic artworks to depict flesh-and-blood lives and social circumstances. With their parts and odd postures generated by the artist, toys that imitate human figures relentlessly reveal something hidden deeply inside of us. The dolls follow one’s intentions and do strange postures, as well as they are broken down into parts. However we all know that we “play” not only with others but with ourselves. “Playing” could be one of our attributes. Iga sadly enough thinks these toys are the best tools to present suppressed malice and emotion, which everyone has but not able to discuss. 1 cm - long tiny underwear and wet shoes covered in jelly … - they remind us of the fact that we bear a striking resemblance to the toys.

Iga was awarded the New Cosmos of Photography Prize in 1999. Since then she has been taking photos of what is inside of us by using helpless dolls, but her artworks show it eloquently. Subtle humour might be an essence to dilute the grief on playing. This is her second solo exhibition at Base Gallery.

* The text provided by BASE GALLERY

Opened dates: October 1 - November 10, 2010