Makoto Ofune, Olivier Malingue, 2017

Makoto Ofune

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Makoto Ofune

OLIVIER MALINGUE

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Makoto Ofune in conversation with Martha Kirszenbaum

Martha Kirszenbaum: Could you elaborate upon your painting technique, and in particular explain your use of Iwa Enogu, a type of pigment used in Japanese traditional painting made of crushed mineral stones?

Makoto Ofune: I create paintings by putting together layers of mineral pigments called iwa enogu. Normally I mount a sheet of Japanese paper made of hemp fibre on a wooden panel. Then on this paper, mineral pigments are fixed with animal gelatin glue named nikawa. This is the same technique as the one used for traditional Japanese painting nihon-ga. These mineral pigments are often used for traditional architecture in Japan, for instance sculpture on wooden beams, mainly because they are stronger than dyes and can be preserved and conserved for a longer time. But Japan is also a culture of wood, and since Japanese paper is made of wood, the style of painting on hemp paper is connected to Japanese tradition itself.

Additionally I sometimes apply mineral pigments on stone and these particular works symbolise my idea of choosing specific localities or places in nature, almost as in mural painting. In the end it is the fusion of stone powder with another stone that brings harmony to the works and sometimes blurs the line between nature and an artwork. Talking further about mineral pigment, I could say that the colour of these mineral stones was generated over the years and reflect the original colours of the earth’s crust. The mineral stone is crushed and the colour of its inside powder becomes a pigment. In this sense, I feel that the paintings made from these pigments reveal their insides out. Finally, since animal gelatin glue does not coat the surface like acrylic or oil would do, it in fact solidifies the base of the pigment, thus the surface of the painting produces a three-dimensional structure and maintains the raw texture of the mineral.

Japanese culture is known, at least to us Western readers, for the attention it provides to harmony, both physical and spiritual. How is this notion reflected in your practice?

In Japanese culture, the relationship between the physical and the spiritual feels very significant; objects and spirits overlap continuously. Some objects are representative of a divine spirit, for instance stones, trees, forests, mountains, the sea etc, and they range from small materials to large environments. My idea of harmony is united not only with human, physical and spiritual aspects, but also with the external environment, every substance and the place where we are standing. This is why I would say: “Enter into the harmony.”

There indeed seems to be an essential reference to natural elements in your work— water, earth, mineral stones. Where does this come from?

One reason is that I sympathise with the underlying idea of Japanese culture, but when I appreciate materials, I feel the fact that they existed before me and that my art started before me. I stand between nature and art, between past and future.

My mind and the way I create provoke a sense of harmony with the external world. I must connect with the world as an artist does spiritually, but through the material. When I communicate with nature, through the substance, I sometimes lose control, so I have to face my works as if they were natural materials, through all my senses. If I am walking in the mountains, it doesn’t matter that I arrive at 3

a destination, because I value the process and the experience. It is necessary to develop judgments at each stage of the process. For instance I don’t always know which pigment to choose next so it is essential to emphasise on my judgment ability and balance feeling during the painting process.

Could you talk more in depth about the pieces produced for your upcoming exhibition at Olivier Malingue in London? How does this new body of works expand your previous projects?

This exhibition is indeed held in a white cube, but I am aware of some singular elements in this gallery space. First of all, the space conveys a particular sensitivity to material and texture. Surely my works and the space will merge harmoniously in this atmosphere. The gallery space never reveals itself immediately, and its mystery inspires our imagination. When confronting a place beyond our imagination, we can discover the purity in ourselves; so pure encounters and experiences are awaiting us there. In addition, each zone of the gallery space has a distinctive facial expression. I usually work on projects converting the atmosphere of the space into a single work, but this time at Olivier Malingue, I am planning to develop my installation in order to make the best use of the singularity of the gallery space.

Each work carries its own world, and I am considering each work as a singular environment. To me, different plural environments or worlds gently gather and connect in the gallery space. It may seem to the viewer like a disconnected and separate work of art at a first glance, but I feel that the outside world is unique, and that each and every one of my works is connected in the same way. I mean, every human element also carries its own and unique world, and also gathers and connects with each other, thus generating atmosphere and culture. We have a habit of giving to each element a name that defines it, but I am also comfortable feeling that, at the same time, a wider world includes them all.

I perceive a prevailing consideration for spirituality in your practice, particularly in the paintings and photographs. How important is the reference to Shinto and to rituals in your work?

I never link my work to any specific religion. As for Shinto, it is of course the oldest root of Japanese culture, therefore it has permeated our thought and sense of values as much as our life habits. I certainly took some important ideas from it.

For instance, in Shinto, the specificity of location is considered as essential prior to the construction of buildings, because people have been praying at the site way before any building has been erected there. In other words, they were trying to connect with the infinite from there. I also want to connect with the infinite (time wise, spatially and spiritually) through my work, so I attempted to realise a project in the oldest shrines of Kyoto, the Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines. There I focused on the myth, in which the great cycle of nature and the existence of God are described as superimposed. I want to be conscious not only of the existence that is given in front of our eyes, but also of the connection with the invisible existence that includes past and future, as well as spatial connection like nature’s circulation: the river water flows from the mountains to the sea, and evaporates towards the sky then comes down as rain. In fact these two shrines in Kyoto are built precisely on the connecting point of the Northern upstream side and the Southern downstream 4

side of the river. My work has become a bridge that connects the infinite and the human’s deep inside based on the invisible flow that a place, such as a shrine, bears.

It seems like the spaces in which you exhibit play a crucial role for the creation of the works themselves, and notably in relation to natural light. I’m referring to your project Particules en Symphonie, presented at the Saint-Merry Church in Paris (2016), where your refined and ethereal installation deeply contrasted with the flamboyant Gothic architecture of the church. Do you conceive your pieces for or against the context it is presented, and do they therefore become in-situ installations?

The project I realised in Paris in 2016 took place at a church, Église Saint-Merry.

The main style there is indeed Gothic, but in places it is mixed with various other styles, so every object (painting, sculpture) has its own history and memory. I feel that their presence is showing their individuality to the widest extent. Furthermore the floor, the walls, the pillars and every other part of the church are also filled with their own history and memory. They resonate to each other and come together to create a contemporary harmony. I usually get into a pure experience when I stand in a space without knowing much about it. I experience the richness of the light, the air, and the atmosphere that fills the place. It is the true essence of this place and, at the same time, it overlaps with my spirit and sense. I can then intuitively feel the vital place of my works. Of course, I always thoroughly research the context of the place, and it strengthens my intentions and helps me to develop a body of works.

The Saint-Merry Church’s architecture includes circular shapes that are different from the ones you find in nature; it actually looks like a body. I knew that the 5

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“intermediate presence” (light, sound, people entering and going) flowing in the space would influence the impression of the installation space. I usually try to have my works accept these changes of atmosphere so that every interactive element and my work can relate and interpenetrate each other. There I thought that all the elements, people, architecture and air, would form a large symphony changing gradually while preserving a sense of contrast and harmony at every moment.

You grew up in Japan in the 1980s, so I’m wondering how strongly Japanese visual culture has shaped your eye and predisposed your practice?

In the 1980s when I was growing up, several Japanese artists had already produced exciting art since the 1960s and 70s, which had paved the way for the contemporary Japanese art scene of today. I’m thinking for instance of the movement called “Kansai New Wave”. At the same time I was able to see various modern exhibitions of western art, pop art, abstract painting etc. Of course this made an impact on me, but I also remember that I was occasionally moved by simple and deep works that convey the essence of time, space and human. Sometimes it would be a monochrome, like an ink painting called “Suiboku-ga” in Japan, sometimes a drawing of scenery by a Western artist such as William Turner. I can say that I was influenced by both Eastern and Western art practices.

We always picture Japanese culture as a balance, sometimes a rip, between tradition and modernity. How do you balance the influence of traditional Japanese painting with the contemporary world you live in today?

As you say, there are many historical temples and shrines in Japan and people still appreciate and visit them. But in some cities, it becomes overthrown by the importance of technology and information systems. These may be the negative elements of today’s world and lack of consciousness. At the time I graduated from university, the technological aspect of art was already very present, and I also worked with photography, video, CG by PC etc. At the same time I was developing

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music activities. Through doing so, I felt the appeal of analog methods, which appears to be my own methodology. In fact the technique of my work relates to traditional ones or to the history of Japan but, at the same time, it is related to ancient mural paintings. Another noteworthy turning point in my approach was the shock of the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear tragedy of Fukushima in March 2011. I think that those cracks have entered our contemporary consciousness. Before this tragic event, we were comforting ourselves with a human-centered well-being embracing the system, but modern technology can only be developed if one is aware of nature. The reason why we have a heart that loves cherry blossoms with a short life span is that it is possible to feel humanity because we strongly identify with the changes in nature. This feeling continues in our lives today. After the internet revolution, I feel that some true realness is missing because younger people communicate and progress only through data and information. In reaction to this, I think that I want to create a reality with paintings and installations that is accompanied by an atmospheric texture and pursues a reality that viewers can actively relate to.

Your practice embraces a multidisciplinary approach of art, as it conveys painting, photography, film and installation. Could you develop this aspect?

I certainly incorporate various media such as installation, photography, and film in my practice, but the base remains without a doubt painting. Other expressions exist in a form that prolongs the quality of my painting work. However, I would like to develop my practice through various activities and approaches. For example, I have collaborated with performers and contemporary dancers as well as with contemporary musicians, and these collaborations directly affected and modified the atmosphere of the site and changed the mood of the viewers. The same phenomenon happens in an exhibition if different media are used, but it is condensed in a deliberate project. I would like to connect my painting works with the real world and to maximise the potential of the range of various facial expressions possessed by my work.

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You completed a year-long artist residency in Paris in 2016 for the exhibition at Église Saint-Merry. How did this experience of living and working in Paris affect the way you look at art?

This long-term stay and residency time for production in Paris felt very familiar and natural to me. I guess that I was trying to get in harmony with the Parisian environment, and I felt that many aspects there had influenced me unconsciously.

As a result, there seemed to be a slight change in the colour of my work and the strength of my expression. In Japan, I was usually trying to raise the material to a spiritual dimension, but in Paris I went the opposite direction and attempted to materialise the spirit. In addition, the scenery, the air and the humidity feel very different there. I liked this new scenery in the Paris suburbs when it was covered with mist. The exhibition at Olivier Malingue includes some works that I produced during my stay in Paris alongside some others produced in Japan before and after my residency in Paris.

Can you share your upcoming projects and directions for the next months?

I plan to work on some site-specific commissioned works this year in Osaka, Japan.

I will also participate in a group exhibition at the Neues Museum in Nuremberg (Germany) and, later on, in Krakow (Poland) and Toulouse (France), where I am planning to develop a project in a unique space in 2018. I am also interested in the relationship between the human voice and my painting installations. The human voice projects the inside towards the outside. Also, the voices disappear into the space to reflect the situation of a place or a site. While focusing on creating art works, I want to unfold a broad range of artistic possibilities.

Martha Kirszenbaum (b. 1983, Vitry-sur-Seine, France) is a curator and writer based in Los Angeles, where she was the Director and Curator of Fahrenheit, an exhibition space and residency program (2014–16).

She graduated from Sciences Po in Paris and Columbia University in New York, and worked at Media Department of MoMA in New York (2006-07), the Photography Department of Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (2007) and at the New Museum in New York (2008-10). Additionally, she collaborated with the Center for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, the Belvedere Museum/21er Haus in Vienna, the Marrakech Biennale, Palais de Tokyo in Paris and the Kunsthalle Mulhouse. Kirszenbaum is a regular contributor to Flash Art, CURA, Kaleidoscope and Mousse, and has led seminars on curatorial practice at the Université Paris VIII and Parsons, Paris.

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An aesthetic experience beyond matter, beyond time

by Isabelle Charrier

Makoto Ofune starts with the inside of the mineral, formed light years ago, well before humans appeared on Earth. Within this, we discover an ancient pictorial technique which is still alive in Japan. Pieces of stone are crushed to a fine powder and mixed with water and animal-based glue called nikawa to become a mineral liquid. The artist covers the whole area of the painting with these pigments on hemp-fibre paper mounted a wooden board following the traditional method.

Stone, wood and paper are the materials on which he will base his creation. Using bold and sometime extremely delicate brushstrokes, he superimposes fine layers of paint made of mineral pigments. Unlike oil paintings, the surface of his works are not glossy but retain the natural appearance of the raw material used. The artist considers what the final work will become as would a dancer, seeking to imbue it with all his creative energy and the power of his imagination. What he aims to bring out is the internal existence of its mineral nature. The internal and the external become one again, within the work of art.

Eternal, Still Wave, Reflection Field, Wave, Void… Vision is not involved when he paints. There is no vestige of landscape or human representation, and yet he is able to bring an original force back to life, that of the birth of the universe. He seeks to discover the core, the burning nucleus, which progressively expands. Creation means feeling the true density and richness of the moment and enabling others to feel it too: the aura of Walter Benjamin’s here and now. It is the first instant of the past which continues into the present and is linked to the future; it is Eternal.

Makoto Ofune’s work is vast and endlessly extending, formed of particles which seem identical but which change with the light and with the air which passes through them. They reflect that crucial moment, called utsuroi in Japanese, when you are taken on a momentary journey which reproduces itself eternally.

In spite of his traditional technical training, Makoto Ofune has abandoned the sphere of nihonga painting. He is receptive to what is happening in contemporary art and is much concerned with installations. He is especially keen to put his works on the spot, for example, beside Lake Biwa, in Shinto temples, in Shimogamo and Kamigamo, Kyoto and St Merry’s Church in Paris. The relationship the work maintains with the outside world is of primary importance to the artist, because it is essential to the existence of his creation. As with architectural space, both the internal and the external spaces are linked. The work actually becomes a kind of receptacle or mirror which welcomes the changes in nature: the four seasons, the alternation of night and day, the wind … The artist draws inspiration from the art of Japanese gardens, the quintessence of harmony between inside and outside, between untamed nature and the man-made world.

His Wave series is in phase with the universe because, in the various shades of blue and grey, it recreates the flow of life. As the 12th century monk, Kamo no Chômei, wrote in his mountain retreat, “The same river flows endlessly but it is never the same water. Here and there, drifts of foam appear and disappear, never staying too long”. Thus, this unceasing movement is composed of particles which meet and divide, coming and going. How can such a myriad of dots in space become unified into one whole? That is the metaphysical question the artist seeks to answer.

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In his exhibitions, Makoto Ofune emphasises the chosen place and the soul of the viewer. Through these works, he seeks to integrate space as it once was. He also becomes personally involved in the encounter with visitors. He wants to offer them a place which encourages personal meditation, reinforcing the impression of harmony between the work and the space around it. The aesthetic experience is not confined to the creator. It is completed by its relationship with others.

In his Reflection Field works, Makoto Ofune uses a very differently dimensioned material. A small stone whose upper part, cut across, is painted with mineral pigments. The shadowy surroundings heighten the link between the stone and the outside world. By making that choice, he shows us the actual material, without having to pass through the transformational stage which he offers us in his pictorial works. He places the stone before us. It is presented to us like a raw material, beyond a mere creation.

Finally, there is Void, a circular work covered with mineral pigments, similar to the one that was hung from the ceiling of St Merry’s Church, which has a sculptural character that differentiates itself from the artist’s paintings. It is, in fact, threedimensional and cannot be hung from the walls. The theme of Void clearly refers to Zen Buddhism. The notion makes us think, because it casts a different light over the work. The notion of margins (yohaku) is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. It means that the viewer does not focus on the object alone, as the area around the object is also very important. An object does not exist without the space around it.

The object is not in the centre but is part of the surrounding space. One cannot exist without the other. Thus, people and things, both considered as simple bodies, cannot be divided. Everything is reciprocally linked. Each possesses its own world, acts on the whole and depends on the whole. Thus, in the context of his creative activity, the reciprocal link between the parts and the whole is of fundamental importance.

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In his artistic practice, Makoto Ofune does not interfere only with the surrounding space, as already mentioned, but above all with atmosphere, light according to the time of day, sounds or silence, all elements other than the positioned works themselves. This sets off a resonance which spreads like an echo. It is true that most of the time it is all invisible and hard to quantify, but it works directly on the creations exhibited. The series of small works in shades of mineral grey melded with the stone walls of the church on which they were arranged. The painting in the gloom of the crypt, in his Paris exhibition at St Merry’s Church. The viewer saw it beyond the shadow. Rather, it was the half-light which sent us back its image.

Makoto Ofune’s aesthetic can be compared with the famous Chinese canon of Xie He, to whom the artists of the past and the present so often referred, “spirit resonance and life-movement”. In fact, by repeating the numerous layers of paint, he takes us back to the dawn of the universe, where creative energy made itself heard by giving life to matter.

Isabelle Charrier (b. 1951) is an Art historian and specialist in modern and contemporary Japanese Art. She studied Japanese Art history at Kyoto University (1980–86) and received a PHD from the Sorbonne University (1989). She is the author of Contemporary Japanese Painting, published by Manufacture (1991).

She was a Professor of French literature at Kobe University (1991–1997), and a Professor of Chinese and Japanese Art History at the University of Louvain la Neuve (1998–2003). Since 2005, she has been a lecturer in Japonisme, Modern and contemporary Japanese Art in the graphic arts department of the Univiersity Vincennes-St Denis, Paris VIII. Additionally, she has translated the writings of Yayoi Kusama, Manhattan Suicide Addict – Les presses du réel (2005), and Lee Ufan, Art of resonance, Beaux-Arts de Paris Editions (2013).

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Artworks

WAVE #111, 2016 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 73.8 Ă— 116 cm

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WAVE #97, 2014 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 115 Ă— 235 cm

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Reflection field – Sodalite, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on Sodalite 8 × 12 cm

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Eternal #5, 2007 – 2014 Powdered mineral pigments on canvas 90 × 383 cm

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Reflection field – Autunite, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on Autunite 8 × 13.5 cm

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STILL WAVE #9, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 70 × 60 cm

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VOID f, 2009 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper, mounted on wood board φ75cm

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WAVE #87 , 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm

WAVE #89 , 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm

WAVE #88 , 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm

WAVE #90 , 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm WAVE #91 , 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm

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Reflection Field – Welded Tuff, 2015 Powdered mineral pigments on Welded tuff 5 × 7 cm

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STILL WAVE #11, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 60 × 51 cm

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STILL WAVE #10, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 60 × 51 cm

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STILL WAVE #12, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 60 × 51 cm

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Far Present #2, 2009 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 93 Ă— 139 cm

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List of works p. 17 WAVE #111, 2016 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 73.8 × 116 cm

p. 27 STILL WAVE #9, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 70 × 60 cm

p. 31 WAVE #91, 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm

p. 29 VOID f, 2009 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper, mounted on wood board φ75cm

Shiga, Gallery Sara , Voyage Intérieur, 2012.

Paris, Église Saint Merry, Particules en Symphonie, 2016.

EXHIBITIONS:

Paris, Immanence, J’ai entendu dire, 2016. pp. 18–19 WAVE #97, 2014 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 115 × 235 cm EXHIBITIONS:

Ashiya, Ashiya Schule, Inside one, 2014.

Kyoto, Impact Hub Kyoto, Material and Perception: in search of the roots of Mono-ha, 2015. p. 21 Reflection Field – Sodalite, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on Sodalite 8 × 12 cm pp. 22–23 Eternal #5, 2007–2014 Powdered mineral pigments on canvas 90 × 383 cm EXHIBITIONS:

Rostok, Kunsthalle Rostok, Art Rainbow Project, 2007.

Tokyo, Bunkamura Gallery, Point ephemere, 2008.

Paris, Espace Topographie de l’art, The infinity square of one, 2009.

Kyoto, Hotel Anteroom Kyoto, The Cosmos as Metaphor, 2012.

Paris, La Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, Réceptacle du passage, 2015.

Paris, Église Saint Merry, Particules en Symphonie, 2016.

LITER ATUR E:

Makoto Ofune, Resonance, Tokyo, 2009, reproduced in colour, pp. 3, 5, 7, 44, reproduced pp. 45.

The infinity square of one, Paris, Espace Topographie de l’art, 2009.

Réceptacle du passage, Paris, La Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, 2015. p. 25 Reflection Field – Autunite, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on Autunite 8 × 13.5 cm

EXHIBITIONS:

EXHIBITIONS:

Kyoto, Institut Franco-Japonais du Kansai, Architecture et Impermanence, 2012. p. 30 WAVE #87, 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm EXHIBITIONS:

Shiga, Gallery Sara , Voyage Intérieur, 2012.

Paris, Église Saint Merry, Particules en Symphonie, 2016. p. 30 WAVE #88, 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm EXHIBITIONS:

Shiga, Gallery Sara, Voyage Intérieur, 2012.

Paris, Église Saint Merry, Particules en Symphonie, 2016. p. 31 WAVE #89, 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm EXHIBITIONS:

Shiga, Gallery Sara, Voyage Intérieur, 2012.

Paris, Église Saint Merry, Particules en Symphonie, 2016. p. 31 WAVE #90, 2012 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 14 × 26.4 cm EXHIBITIONS:

p. 33 Reflection Field – Welded tuff, 2015 Powdered mineral pigments on Welded tuff 5 × 7 cm EXHIBITIONS:

Kyoto, Kyoto Art Center, Utsuwa et Utsushi, 2015.

Paris, Immanence, J’ai entendu dire, 2016. p. 35 STILL WAVE #11, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 60 × 51 cm p. 37 STILL WAVE #10, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 60 × 51 cm p. 39 STILL WAVE #12, 2017 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 60 × 51 cm p. 41 Far Present #2, 2009 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 93 × 139 cm EXHIBITIONS:

Paris, Espace Topographie de l’art, The infinity square of one, 2009.

Shiga, Murakumo-gosho Zuiryu-ji Temple, Biwako Biennale, 2012.

LITER ATUR E:

The infinity square of one, Paris, Espace Topographie de l’art 2009.

Shiga, Gallery Sara, Voyage Intérieur, 2012.

Paris, Église Saint Merry, Particules en Symphonie, 2016.

Please note that the capitalisation of some titles is the intention of the artist

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Makoto Ofune 1977 Born in Osaka, Japan 2000 Graduated from Kyoto University of Education, Department of Fine Arts with a major in Japanese stile painting 2001 Completed the course of postgraduate research at alma mater 2016 Awarded the Fellowship of Overseas Study Programme for Artists by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese Government

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017 Makoto Ofune, Olivier Malingue, London 2016 Particules en Symphonie, Église Saint Merry, Paris

2006 Makoto Ofune, Neutron, Kyoto Makoto Ofune, Gallery Ami, Osaka 2005 From Zero to Zero, Art space Kan, Kyoto Makoto Ofune, Nagai Gallery, Tokyo La mer du Coeur, Gallerie Akie Arichi, Paris 2004 Center of the heart, Gallery Kanoko, Osaka Eternal, Gallery Gan, Tokyo Eternal, Neutron, Kyoto 2003 Vibration of the heart, Gallery Gan, Tokyo Vibration of the heart, Neutron, Kyoto 2002 Formless Form, Space Alternative Gallery, Kyoto Sanzui, Dohjidai Gallery, Kyoto 2001 Makoto Ofune, Space Alternative Gallery, Kyoto

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2015 Eternal, Yoshii Gallery, New York Void – Presence of node, Kamigamo-jinja Shinto Shrine, Kyoto Raw – Beyond the flow, Simogamo-jinja Shinto Shrine, Kyoto 2014 Inside one, Ashiya Schule, Ashiya 2013 Void, Kamigamo-jinja Shinto Shrine, Kyoto Makoto Ofune, Mamekou - bettei, Shiga Subconscious, Traumaris | Space, Tokyo 2012 Voyage Intérieur, Gallery Sara, Shiga Circulation – 2012, Galerie Syokando, Kyoto 2011 Colors of Seasons. The 26th National Cultural Festival, Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto 2010 Wave, Neutron Tokyo, Tokyo 2009 Principle, Neutron, Kyoto Prism, Neutron Tokyo, Tokyo 2008 Breeze from somewhere far, Ten. lay. kyu, Shiga The Nowhere, Art space Kan, Kyoto 2007 Time-moment-time, Neutron, Kyoto

2017 Makoto Ofune × Aurore Thibout, A. I. Studio (Altaroma) Roma, Guido Reni District 2016 J’ai entendu dire, Immanence, Paris 2015 Utsuwa et Utsushi, Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto Passage – Makoto Ofune and Aurore Thibout Exibition, Yuuhisai Koudoukan, Kyoto Art Basel, Booth: Gallery Koyanagi, Messe Basel, Basel Material and Perception: in search of the roots of Mono-ha, Impact Hub Kyoto, Kyoto Réceptacle du passage, La Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, Paris 2014 Object Matters, Gallery Voice, Gifu 12 Tatsuno Art Project 2014 Festival, Japan-Poland Contemporary Arts, Brewry Building 11, Hyogo Shadows of Time – Makoto Ofune and Anne & Patrick Poirier, Yuuhisai Koudoukan, Kyoto Art Basel, Booth: Gallery Koyanagi, Messe Basel, Basel A Sequel From Mono to Mono – reflection and vessel, Yukosousya, Kyoto 2013 Paintings, Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo Chaosmos, Yukosousya, Kyoto Art Basel, Booth: Gallery Koyanagi, Messe Basel, Basel Pink Noise, Gallery Caption, Gifu

2012 Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2012, Institut Franco-Japonais du Kansai, Kyoto Biwako Biennale 2012, Murakumo-gosho Zuiryu-ji Temple, Shiga Utakata, Art Lab Aichi, Aichi Utsusemi, Jyokaisou, Aichi Summer Show, Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo The Cosmos as Metaphor, Hotel Anteroom Kyoto, Kyoto Architecture et Impermanence, Institut Franco-Japonais du Kansai, Kyoto 2011 Monokeiro 11·11, Yukosousya, Kyoto Shuffle, Shirokane Art Complex, Tokyo Repères, Espace Topographie de l’art, Paris 2010 Monokeiro, Kyohakuin, Kyoto Biwako biennale 2010 -Magical World-, Oga-Shoten, Shiga Art Fair Tokyo, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo From Mono to Mono, The Kyoto University Museum, Kyoto 2009 The infinity square of one, Espace Topographie de l’art, Paris 2008 Point Ephemere, Bunkamura Gallery, Tokyo 2007 Biwako Biennale 2007, Nishikatu Shuzou Shiborikura, Shiga Art Rainbow Project, Kunsthalle Rostok, Rostok,Germany 2006 Art Court Frontier 2006, Artcourt Gallery, Osaka Ugomekukokoro, Borderless Art Museum NO-MA, Shiga 2004 Gallerism 2004, Osaka Contemporary Art Center, Osaka Art Paris, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris 2003 Resonance-The moon flows with the water, Gallery Bau, Toyama

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Villa La Coste (Chateau la Coste) Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto Park Axis Premier, Nihonbashi Muromachi St Regis Osaka Hotels

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Published on the occasion of the Makoto Ofune exhibition, 7 March - 20 May 2017 Olivier and Priscilla Malingue would like to thank all of the people who have contributed to the production of this exhibition and catalogue.

In particular, they would like to thank: Kazuhito Yoshii, Martha Kirszenbaum, Isabelle Charrier, Anne Odling-Smee, Michael Gibb, John Bodkin, Aplomb Translations, Lewis Ronald, Cassandra Brayham, Raquel de la Cruz and Tiffany Leung.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced in any form or by any means, without prior written permission from Olivier Malingue Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9957592-0-6 All photographs by Mari Tanabe, except for pp. 17, 35 and cover image, by Plastiques Photography.

Catalogue design: Michael Gibb, O-SB Design Colour Reproduction: John Bodkin, Dawkins Colour Printed in the UK by Principal Colour

Cover image: Detail of WAVE #111, 2016 Powdered mineral pigments on hemp paper 73.8 Ă— 116 cm

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