Gallery Joeun is currently hosting Beyond Gaze Into Self, a solo exhibition by Japanese artist Maiko Kobayashi, running from October 17 to November 16, 2024. This marks Kobayashi’s second solo exhibition at the gallery, where she continues to explore her unique artistic style by presenting animal-like creatures—rabbits and dogs—that seem to breathe with a life of their own. These "presences" are not simply drawn from pop culture or cartoons, but rather, they emerge from the artist’s pure consciousness, much like a child’s spontaneous doodles.

Kobayashi’s work is deeply personal, with each figure acting as a reflection of her own emotions. The movements of her hand translate into lines and colors on the canvas, bringing forth a distinct form of existence. These figures seem to be observing the viewer, or perhaps looking out into an undefined space, carrying with them a delicate balance between strength and vulnerability, cuteness and melancholy. These dichotomies mirror the complex emotional landscapes we, as humans, often experience—feelings that are difficult to simplify or define.

The artist’s focus on material is especially noteworthy. Kobayashi carefully tears and rubs traditional Japanese washi paper before attaching it to wooden panels or canvases, giving her works a textured, raw quality. This process not only enriches the visual experience but also adds a symbolic layer to the work. The fragile yet resilient nature of washi paper is, according to Kobayashi, a reflection of the human spirit—delicate yet capable of enduring hardship. This idea resonates with her mantra, posted in her studio: "Face real life, even during difficult times." Her art, much like her philosophy, is rooted in the resilience of people navigating the chaos of modern life.

Takeshi Kudo, director of the Tagawa City Museum of Art, praises Kobayashi’s intricate layers of line and color, noting that they symbolize the complex consciousness of people living in today’s world. He suggests that the figures in her works transcend individual identity, representing a universal portrait of modern humanity. They are not simply Kobayashi’s creations, but reflections of all of us—figures searching for meaning in a fast-paced, often confusing world.

In this exhibition, Kobayashi showcases 18 new works, including her large-scale drawing SELF, which features a raw, intuitive expression that captures her inner thoughts. She also introduces her new series, Meditative Things?, created without the use of washi paper and directly applied onto canvas. These new works highlight her evolving approach to her art, where she continues to balance intuition and materiality in her creative process.

Kobayashi’s artistic journey spans more than 20 years, with her education beginning at Musashino Art University in Japan and Northumbria University in the UK. Over the years, her work has been exhibited across Europe, Asia, and the United States, with pieces held in prominent collections such as Japan’s Gunma Museum of Art, the Ueshima Collection, and the Nasima Landau Art Foundation in Israel. Following her successful solo exhibitions in New York and Hong Kong in 2023, she is set to hold further exhibitions in Hong Kong and Tokyo in 2024 and will conclude the year with a solo show at Art Miami.

Through her latest exhibition, Beyond Gaze Into Self, Kobayashi continues to explore the depth of human emotion, identity, and resilience. Her works transcend the boundaries of personal experience, inviting viewers to look beyond the surface and confront the layers of their existence. Kobayashi’s art, with its intuitive strokes and complex textures, captures the essence of being human—fragile yet enduring, vulnerable yet strong.

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com