Hino gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition entitled “Vertical Dream” by Tomiyuki Maruyama from Monday, January 18th, 2021.

A L-shaped sculpture, made of Isahaya Ishi, which is a type of hard sandstone, quarried in Isahaya City, Nagasaki, is an iconic form for Maruyama’s work. The artist has stated that these forms appear “by approaching the sky from the horizon, from the position or perspective of a stone.” In a previous exhibition at Hino gallery in 2018, Maruyama showed a group of works that were made using an approach where he transferred his line of sight to an apparent focal position which is just below the surface: slightly underground. The artist’s shift in perspective has changed since then, and he made a sculpture entitled “Vertical Dream,” by switching the direction of vision from ‘hither side’ to a more ‘thither side,’ as a new work for his solo exhibition at Asahi Museum of Art, Nagano in 2019.

“Vertical Dream” can be described as L-shaped, however, what is decidedly different from the ‘L-shape’ in his past works is that the vertical surface of the sculpture has a much higher proportion than the horizontal surface, and rises up in a perfect balance even though it looks as if it would fall over backwards if pushed. In reality it wouldn’t, due to the heaviness of the stone and the force of gravity. It is a unique form: the curved bottom face appears to hover, which is another characteristic of Maruyama’s sculpture, and it make the work feel precarious.
Also, in his past L-shaped works, it seems that Maruyama directed his attention to the space that was produced after carving out the stone but in “Vertical Dream,” his attention has shifted more to the inside of the stone as can be gleaned from the chiseled marks around the center of the work. Even though the form is seemingly precarious and can be unstable as it is made of black granite, which is heavier than sandstone, the work stands straight as if anchored by its very core as if nothing can perturb it.

The artist’s shift in consciousness from the space surrounding the stone to the inside of the material can be referred to as a change of sight direction, as Maruyama says, from the ‘hither side’ to the ‘thither side.’ However, his works would never be created if both sides were simultaneously perceivable by the artist: the form we see may be yielded from such an exquisite balance.

In addition to “Vertical Dream” the show features five more L-shaped sculptures, which were created using the same approach, and there are a few more “lumpish” works, which were produced again “by approaching the sky from the horizon” and "from underground." We hope you will enjoy the exhibition and be able to consider focusing on Maruyama’s perspective for each of the works.

Image: "Vertical Dream" 2019, black granite, 120×150×50cm

*To prevent the spread of COVID-19, no opening reception will be held. Please wear a mask when you come to the gallery. Also, please note that our regular opening hours have changed to 11am to 6pm. The period of the exhibition and opening hours may change according to future circumstances. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.