Hino gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Keizo Tawa from Monday, October 17th, 2022.

Keizo Tawa is a sculptor who works primarily with iron. He has been working with this material for almost 50 years. In this exhibition, he will present new works made of scrap iron that have been worn by time.

Three of his works made of scrap iron in this exhibition are created with an awareness of "dots, lines, and planes": perceived gravitational phenomena. The works consist of scrap iron plates that are melted, welded, and stacked, to form cubic blocks, which are then assembled as "dots" and "lines," and thinner iron plates are joined to form "planes." These works will be installed in a single room in order to create a spatial composition.

Before working predominantly with iron, Tawa chose not to directly manipulate materials, especially natural materials, and instead created installations in which sleepers and boulders were laid out and piled up as they were. The "Mono-ha" movement had a great influence on Towa as a student, but at that time he used structural elements such as horizontality and verticality, and physical elements such as mass and gravity as a guide for his minimalistic actions. Nowadays, the concept of sculpture does not only refer to the form of the material but is perceived in terms of the entire space inside and outside of it, which seems to play a significant role in the artist's production. This approach has not changed despite alternations in techniques or materials, and Tawa's work with materials is guided by the elements of "being," which are extremely simple. Horizontals and verticals are two such factors, and his iron works directly relate to gravitational force. The works presented in this exhibition, "dots, lines, and planes," are also constructed using such an approach, and by displaying them in a single space, their individual existence is projected more clearly and unwaveringly. Tawa's works suggest that all things in this world are established in constant relation to each other within an absolute structure which is found in nature.

Tawa’s last solo exhibition at Hino gallery was held in January 2020. It was also presented as a retirement commemorative exhibition at the Department of Sculpture, Tama Art University, where Tawa worked for 11 years, and closed just as the coronavirus wave was about to hit. The world has changed drastically since then, but the artist's view has not changed, and he has simply been quietly facing things. Please come and see Keizo Tawa's new works created under these unusual circumstances.

*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.

Photography by Tadasu Yamamoto