Layers of nature ——Beyond the line

Shingo Francis × Christian Awe × Sam Francis

Sezon Museum of Modern Art is pleased to announce the exhibition “Layers of nature ——

Beyond the line” beginning on April, 2018.

This exhibition will be showing: Shingo Francis, an internationally active artist who sets base in

Japan and America. Christian Awe, an artist from Berlin, marking his first exposure in a

Japanese museum. Sam Francis, one of the most influential abstract artists in America during the

20th century. It will be a group exhibition of these three artists.

Shingo Francis captures the natural colors and light into his artworks by coming and going

between America and Japan, like if it piles up with our layers of memories sleeping within us, the

depth becomes deeper each time it is seen. Moreover, the line that is drawn straight like a horizon

makes the boundary of the inner and the outer of the painting vague by the intercourse of the

unique colors. What is more, he is going to show new work for this exhibition.

Christian Awe brings the fundamental figure which is discovered using various techniques, as the

artist states that, “Even when painting something figurative, it starts turning into abstract.”

Regarding his new work, he creates multi-tiered space in the painting with the droplets which

blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination and is complemented by expressive

“splashes of color,” covering the layers below them in rivulets or with apparently spontaneous

gestures.

And Sam Francis, father of Shingo Francis and the master of abstract art, the colors painted using

the artist’s entire body lives inside the works. Giving color to something invisible, the contrast of

colors spreads out infinitely, like if it is giving birth to a new ecosystem in a white land.

If we were to call color, light, space, time, various life-forms, including those invisible things

surrounding us “Nature”, their works like that nature enfolds our body. At that time, going beyond

the lines drawing the outline of the individual, abstract and figurative, and the boundaries of the

viewer and object, we will be feeling that our own selves too are part of the layers configuring the

nature.

Sezon Museum of Modern Art Tokyo office：TEL：03-5579-9725 FAX：03-5579-9726 mail：rieko＠smma.or.jp

Ginza B Bldg.5F, 1-6-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 Japan (Rieko Sakamoto / curator of Sezon Museum of Modern Art)

SMMA PRESS RELEASE 2018

Layers of nature – Beyond the line

Shingo Francis × Christian Awe × Sam Francis

Period : April 21 - September 2, 2018

Venue：Sezon Museum of Modern Art

2140 Serigasawa, Nagakura, Karuizawa, Kitasaku, Nagano, 389-0111 Japan

TEL:0267-46-2020

Opening hours：10:00pm-6:00pm（Admission until 30 minutes before closing）

Holiday: Thursdays（except May 3 / Open every days in August）

Admission: Adult 1500 (1400)yen, Univesity, high school student 1000(900)yen,

Junior high school/Primary school student 500(400)yen ( ):Group fee

Organized by Sezon Museum of Modern Art Supported by MISA SHIN GALLERY、HighRoot Eri Takane、GALERIE PARIS ＜Press Preview in Sezon Museum Modern Art＞ Date : April 21, 2018 11:30am−（with light meal）

2140 Serigasawa, Nagakura, Karuizawa, Kitasaku, Nagano, 389-0111 Japan

TEL:0267-46-2020 ＜Events＞ ・Workshop in Sezon Museum of Modern Art

LIGHT , COLOR , ACTION – painting experience with Christian Awe and Shingo Francis

Date: August 11, 2018 10:30am-12:00pm

Capacity: 10 pairs (child & adult/ about 20 people in total)

Age: the1st glade - the 3rd glade of elementary school (6-10years) / with an adult

Free (An exhibition ticket is required.)

Application: 1. name 2. number of people 3.Tel No./ Email/ Fax No. ＊Please apply to TEL:03-5579-9725 FAX: 03-5579-9726 ・ARTIST TALK in Sezon Museum Modern Art / Christian Shingo & Christian Awe

Moderator : Roger McDonald (Director and Curator of AIT/Arts Initiative Tokyo)

Date: August 11, 2018 2:00pm−

Capacity: 30 people

Free（An exhibition ticket is required.）

SMMA PRESS RELEASE 2018

＊Francis Shingo and Christian Awe are going to show new works.

Singo Francis《Bound for Eternity (red)》(2008) © Shingo Francis

Singo Francis《Untitled(interference)》(2016-17) © Shingo Francis

Christian Awe《スイレン（water lily）》2018 © ︎ Christian Awe

Charistian Awe《reminiscence》（2017）© ︎ Christian Awe

Sam Francis《Untitled WC 0011》(1963)