The exhibition showcases six wooden sculptures and 25 paintings created by artist Katsumi Mukai from July to October 2024 in Hanoi. Notably, the series of large pencil drawings (153×246 cm) evokes profound emotions, born from someone who has touched stillness – someone who is captivated by the masterpiece within the tonal world of nature. He sees the color of the wind, smells the scent of the clouds, and hears the rays of sunlight, etc.
The artist shared: “There are sounds that cannot be heard but can be felt – like the sound of falling snow, the flow of lava beneath the earth, or the breath of trees. I always perceive movement within stillness in all natural phenomena. Then, I project my soul – quiet yet intense and vibrant – onto wood and paper.”
Katsumi Mukai was born in 1946 in Tohoku, Japan. At the age of 18, he began painting and moved to Tokyo to study fine arts at the Central Academy of Art. However, he ended his studies after half a year due to a lack of interest in the instructors. In 1971, he went to London to self-study and explore art through galleries and museums for a year. From the 1960s to the 1980s, he organized numerous solo and group exhibitions in Tokyo and Aomori following his first show in 1966. Since 1990, he has focused on wooden sculpture. His sculptures have been continuously exhibited in major art projects both domestically and internationally. Additionally, he has participated in artist residency programs in various countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Germany, Canada, the United States, and more.
The exhibition runs from November 15 to December 1, 2024, on the second floor of Building B, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi.
M.T