吉浦眞琴「口先の指差し眼差しの先」

Makoto Yoshiura

The destination of empty promises

2025.01.10 - 2025.01.18
11:00 -19:00 (Closes at 17:00 on Saturdays)
*Closed on Sunday & Monday

ABOUT

ART FOR THOUGHT is pleased to present the solo exhibition of Makoto Yoshiura, “The destination of empty promises” from January 10 to 18, 2025.

Yoshiura creates art prints with soft outlines using drypoint and fantastic colors and motifs that ooze narrative. 

She has been active in the Kansai region, but this will be her first solo exhibition in Tokyo.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

I use the drypoint technique of copperplate engraving to confront the transparency of existence.

Somewhere, these existences are forgotten, ignored, invisible, and simply exist in secret. However, I cannot help but find some kind of meaning in such things.

With the drypoint of an etching, I am simply digging up their traces. The objects are certainly there, but no one would dare to touch them. They are ignored, made invisible, and their existence fades away. I simply face them in silence. No matter how pointless and futile it seems, I want to force myself to listen to their voices.

They do not speak, therefore I entrust something to them. I give flesh to their existence with sharp lines of drypoint, as if conveying unspoken thoughts through the palm of my hand. That mute silence sometimes pierces my heart more strongly than words. I want to touch, even if only a little, that figure that says nothing, but simply exists.

My work is the accumulation of such unconsciousness. Though no one actually understands them, I listen to those silent cries, and I engrave them on the plates.

BIOGRAPHY

1994 Born in Kanagawa

2017 Graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts, Department of Fine Arts, Oil Painting/Printmaking Course

2019 Completed the Graduate School of Kyoto City University of Arts, Department of Painting, Printmaking

2017-18 The School of Decorative Arts (ENSAD)/France exchange program

Solo Exhibitions

2019 “desert flood” (Gallery Shibatacho/Osaka)

2021 “Seven Bees – Do and Don’t Change by Counting”(GALLERY KEI-FU/Kyoto)

2023 “Catch the Thunder” (Gallery Shibatacho/Osaka)

2024 “A cosmic wink”(Horikawa New Culture Building - NEUTRAL/Kyoto)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021 “Nakabayashi Tadayoshi – Genealogy and Development of Printmaking”(GALLERY KEI-FU/Kyoto)

2021 ”Chisae Kubo・Makoto Yoshiura Two-Person Etching Exhibition” (Gallery Shibatacho/Osaka)

2023 ”Infinitely expanding printmaking expression” (Gallery Shibatacho/Osaka)

2024 ”Kyoto Art for Tomorrow 2024”(The Museum of Kyoto/Kyoto)

2024 ”ARTIST’S  FAIR KYOTO 2024”(Kyoto National Museum - Meiji Kotokan Hall/Kyoto)

2024 “Art Rhizome KYOTO2024”(Institut Francais du Japon, Kansai/Kyoto)

MAJOR AWARDS

2018 The 43rd National Collegiate Print Exhibition, Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts Collection Award

2019 2018 Kyoto City University of Arts Artwork Exhibition, Mayor's Award for Graduate School

2022 The 20th Minamishimabara-shi Seminario Print Exhibition, Grand Prize

2023 Idemitsu Art Award 2023, Judges' Award (By Miyuki Takenaka)

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts

Kyoto City University of Arts archive

Minamishimabara-shi Art Village Shirakino

See Exhibitions List