Hino gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition entitled "Going Over a Needle Peak Canyon" by Yutaka Torao from Monday, November 1st, 2021.

Since the early 1980s, Torao has consistently created and exhibited sculptures using stone as the material. These works have been titled "Gregarious Forest," "Ridge Line," "Needle Peaks," and "Needle Peak Canyon," all of which are associated with forests and mountain ranges, and have been produced in series.

As can be suggested from the title, most of the works are reminiscent of mountains, but through the works and their installation, Torao also attempts to suggest all kinds of invisible energy that surrounds nature, such as atmosphere and magnetic fields. It could be said that these are forms of "scene sculptures" that the artist has long advocated in order to remind the viewer of certain memories and landscapes.

Some of the titles of the new works presented by Torao in this exhibition use dynamic instructions such as "go over," "go forward," and "look up" suggesting the way scenery shifts and comes in and out of sight whilst moving through the landscape. These elusive, fragmented scenes, which never disappear completely, have been transformed into characteristic forms and incorporated into the artist's work. This approach is different from the so-called "scene sculptures" that act on a sense of déjà vu that the artist has been pursuing, and suggests a new attempt to symbolically connect the fragments of scenes that have accumulated within him, in order to reveal a different world beyond the appearance of mountain.

In contrast to the expression that gives us some sort of the "humidity" of nature, the reconstructions using fragments of trimmed and visually configured scenes appear before us with a minimalistic yet somehow organic movement. Although they may look different in form, both of these works may be considered Torao's "scene sculptures" in that their expression is derived from elements that contain some kind of emotion engendered by memories and landscape.

Hino gallery will be presenting this solo exhibition by Torao for the first time in three years. It will feature the most recent works, including large-scale sculptures made out of marble and Iunai stone. We hope that you will be able to sense various scenes from the works and the entire exhibition space.

*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 - 6pm. The period of the exhibition and opening hours may change according to future circumstances. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Image: Yutaka TORAO "Going Over the Six Needle Peak Canyon" 2021, marble, 159 × 93 × 28.5 cm