West London’s Griffin Gallery presents the exhibition ‘Two Truths’ bringing together six talented Japanese artists and recent graduates working in both London and Japan. Works range from photography, to painting and sculpture, while the artists themselves use distinctive approaches to form a dialogue about the contemporary art climate and their cultural heritage. Japanese by birth and legacy, three of the exhibiting artists decided early in their careers to move to and ultimately settle in London. The other three are at the beginning of their artistic journeys practising in their home country of Japan.
This exhibition seeks to understand how cultural displacement may affect an artist’s relationship to ‘truth’. The exhibition title refers to a key theory underpinning ancient Buddhist philosophy: the doctrine of Two Truths. This doctrine differentiates between two levels of truth: conventional and ultimate. Conventional truth is how we usually see the world; a place full of diverse and distinctive things and beings. Ultimate truth is empty of concrete and inherent characteristics; there are no distinctive things or beings. Arguably, this exhibition comments upon the journey most artists take in search of ‘personal truths’, and forms a lively visual discussion of tradition, heritage and contemporary art practice.
The exhibiting artists are united in their pursuit to articulate and interrogate the world around them, each artist having developed a unique approach, reflective of where they call home. Ultimately, the exhibition explores the Japanese artistic communities in both Japan and London, triggering interesting juxtapositions between Japanese custom and contemporary influence.
Two of the exhibiting artists from Japan, ICHASU and Keisuke Katsuki, will be in residence at Griffin Gallery between 28 April and 9 June. Whilst making new works, they will have the opportunity to explore the London and UK contemporary art scene.
Exhibiting Artists: Kazuya Tsuji, Yukako Shibata, Miho Sato, ICHASU, Yuka Kurita, Keisuke Katsuki
‘Two Truths’ – Griffin Gallery – 28 May to 11 July 2015