EXHIBI­TIONS

HAROSHI

Active since 2003, Haroshi is known for making sculptures and installations out of used skateboard decks. Haroshi begins his work by collecting worn-out decks from his network of friends and skateboard shops in exchange for originally designed T-shirts and stickers. He then stacks the decks in layers to create a block from which he carves out forms, and he also assembles the cut-off fragments into mosaic-style compositions. These works elicit such a powerful response from viewers because they go beyond mere recycling to manifest an act of salvation that is inspired by the artist’s personal affection toward skateboarding. Now Haroshi is taking a different turn with his latest exhibition, which features an immersive installation of new sculptures inspired by kokeshi dolls and abacus beads that have fallen into disuse and are available at low cost.

NANZUKA UNDERGROUND

Nanzuka Underground was founded in 2005 in Shibuya as an experimental space dedicated to redefining design, illustration, street culture, fashion, music, and other creative fields as subjects for rigorous study. In particular the gallery aims to rediscover figures who were not considered “fine artists” by the Japanese art world that developed after World War II, such as Toshio Saeki, Hajime Sorayama, Keiichi Tanaami, and Harumi Yamaguchi. Nanzuka Underground collaborates with many international galleries to support the broader reception of emerging Japanese artists like Haroshi, Masato Mori, Ryuichi Ohira, Makoto Taniguchi, and Hiroki Tsukuda. The gallery also works with international artists to introduce global perspectives on contemporary art to Japan.