Unraveling the Charm of Makoto Kagoshima's "Designs"

Makoto Kagoshima's ceramics and products, depicting animals and plants in a unique worldview, are popular. His designs are collections of motifs composed of lines and contours (silhouettes). Despite their simple lines, these motifs possess a power that makes them instantly recognizable as Kagoshima's work, even when isolated from the design.

This is because Kagoshima has spent years of his creative career repeatedly drawing lines, engraving them into his hands. Through the practice of "drawing lines repeatedly," his lines have been refined into simpler, more powerful strokes that can even move the viewer's emotions.

This exhibition, "Makoto Kagoshima's Designs," allows visitors to experience the charm of Makoto Kagoshima's lines and contours, born from numerous practices, and the power of his motifs, through the plant motifs he has continuously drawn.

The Third Installment in a Series Collaborating with Japanese Traditional Crafts

New posters, directed by art director Kei Maeda and developed in various patterns for the design exhibition, will be unveiled this year as well. This time, motifs from the plant designs that Makoto Kagoshima has long drawn will be extracted to create posters and postcards, each expressing a single motif. Additionally, mobiles, reconfigured into a three-dimensional world by mother tool, will be presented. These motifs, "strong even on their own," exhibit new charm and joyfully adorn spaces when their composition or usage is altered.

As the third installment in the series collaborating with Japanese traditional crafts, tenugui dyed using the traditional Chusen technique in collaboration with "Kamawanu" will be available. The designs, composed with the full width of the fabric, can also be enjoyed as cross cloths or tapestries, displayed as interior decor.

Furthermore, to allow visitors to doinel to "enjoy the space as well as the artworks and products," live painting for a mural will be conducted during the exhibition period, expressing the charm of the designs throughout the entire space.

Makoto KAGOSHIMA
Ceramic Artist / Artist
Born in Fukuoka. After graduating from art university, worked for an interior company, handling displays and management. Since 2002, has been creating ceramics, fabrics, prints, and more at his own studio in Fukuoka. He has held solo exhibitions not only in Japan but also in L.A., Taipei, and London, and his fan base has expanded globally in recent years. In addition to creating his own works, he provides designs for domestic and international brands, releasing a variety of products beyond ceramics, including fabrics and paper goods. His activities are diverse, encompassing participation in international art projects and creating murals for spaces.
His works primarily consist of vessels and objects depicting his unique world of plants and animals, exuding a cheerful charm. He spends considerable time gardening, and familiar plants such as pansies, roses, and dianthus often serve as motifs in his work. He also incorporates influences from his favorite medieval Romanesque architecture and sculpture into his style.
www.makotokagoshima.com

Makoto Kagoshima's Designs Exhibition
MAKOTO KAGOSHIMA “ZUAN” EXHIBITION 2015
Dates: Friday, October 30, 2015 – Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Closed: Wednesdays
Venue: doinel
3-2-9 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo