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Sterling Ruby "Specters Kyoto"
Taka Ishii Gallery Kyoto
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Sterling Ruby
Taka Ishii Gallery Kyoto is pleased to present “Specters Kyoto,” a solo exhibition by Sterling Ruby running from November 25th, 2023 to January 20th, 2024. This exhibition is in conjunction with two other solo shows running concurrently at Taka Ishii Gallery (Terrada Art Complex II) and at the Sogetsu Plaza in Tokyo, all featuring new work by the artist.
In this new exhibition, Sterling Ruby builds on themes explored during his participation in Desert X in 2019, stepping into the world of folk magic and the supernatural. The artist draws influences from both Japanese and Euro-American myth and legend as well as from the artist’s own early interactions with colonial folklore. Raised a few miles from an infamous local spot known as “Hex” Hollow, the history of Ruby’s hometown in Pennsylvania was steeped in notions of witchcraft, hauntings and local legends. After a trip to East Asia in September 2014, Ruby also became interested in the ghostly tales deep-rooted in Japanese-Buddhist tradition, particularly kaidan, a genre of Japanese ghost stories, which evoked a greater curiosity in the artist in what comes after death.
Taking advantage of the earthen aesthetic and unique architectural features of the traditional wooden residence that now houses the Kyoto gallery, the artist presents works that “haunt” the space. Ruby makes use of found organic materials that hold deep symbolism within Japanese and Euro-American horror tales, from hair and wood, to animal bones and dried gourds. Inspired by the kaidan stories of Greek-Japanese writer Lafcadio Hearn, his sculptural and collaged works make direct reference to the Japanese yōkai spirits rokurokubi, the spirit whose neck stretches like a water well’s pulley, and tsuzura no bakemono, literally the “demon in the wicker hamper.” From his own American viewpoint, Ruby also explores common horror tropes like the “ghost bride.” The exhibition further features the artist’s works on paper that evoke undertones of the otherworldly, with their delicate yet ghostly pen markings forming skeletal objects and body parts.
The selection of paintings, ceramics, sculptures and works on paper gracefully weave throughout the inner and outer spaces of the machiya townhouse in the artist’s exploration of the life and afterlife of the “specter.”
In this new exhibition, Sterling Ruby builds on themes explored during his participation in Desert X in 2019, stepping into the world of folk magic and the supernatural. The artist draws influences from both Japanese and Euro-American myth and legend as well as from the artist’s own early interactions with colonial folklore. Raised a few miles from an infamous local spot known as “Hex” Hollow, the history of Ruby’s hometown in Pennsylvania was steeped in notions of witchcraft, hauntings and local legends. After a trip to East Asia in September 2014, Ruby also became interested in the ghostly tales deep-rooted in Japanese-Buddhist tradition, particularly kaidan, a genre of Japanese ghost stories, which evoked a greater curiosity in the artist in what comes after death.
Taking advantage of the earthen aesthetic and unique architectural features of the traditional wooden residence that now houses the Kyoto gallery, the artist presents works that “haunt” the space. Ruby makes use of found organic materials that hold deep symbolism within Japanese and Euro-American horror tales, from hair and wood, to animal bones and dried gourds. Inspired by the kaidan stories of Greek-Japanese writer Lafcadio Hearn, his sculptural and collaged works make direct reference to the Japanese yōkai spirits rokurokubi, the spirit whose neck stretches like a water well’s pulley, and tsuzura no bakemono, literally the “demon in the wicker hamper.” From his own American viewpoint, Ruby also explores common horror tropes like the “ghost bride.” The exhibition further features the artist’s works on paper that evoke undertones of the otherworldly, with their delicate yet ghostly pen markings forming skeletal objects and body parts.
The selection of paintings, ceramics, sculptures and works on paper gracefully weave throughout the inner and outer spaces of the machiya townhouse in the artist’s exploration of the life and afterlife of the “specter.”
Schedule | Nov 25 (Sat) 2023-Jan 20 (Sat) 2024 Opening Hours Information
Opening Reception Nov 25 (Sat) 2023 16:30 - 18:30 | ||||
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://www.takaishiigallery.com/en/archives/36742/ | ||||
| Venue | Taka Ishii Gallery Kyoto https://www.takaishiigallery.com/en/ | ||||
| Location | 123 Yada-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 600-8442 | ||||
| Access | 5 minute walk from exit 4 at Shijo Station on the Karasuma subway line, 5 minute walk from exit 26 at Karasuma Station on the Hankyu line. | ||||
| Phone | 075-366-5101 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it   |
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