Acclaimed artist and CalArts alum Naotaka Hiro (Film/Video MFA 00) explores the roots of his artistic process in his latest exhibition titled Two Worlds at The Box gallery in Los Angeles, on view through Saturday, July 27, 2024.
Two Worlds marks a reflective milestone for Hiro, who revisits the nascent stages of his career, which began upon his arrival in America at age 18. The exhibition derives its name from a monumental diptych made up of two large wood panels (108” x 156”) th\at fill a dedicated room within the gallery. This signature piece embodies the duality of Hiro’s artistic process—unconscious and conscious, intuitive and deliberate—mirroring his dual roles in his early filmmaking and performance art.
“I believe that my art practice, whether it be drawing or painting, has two steps. The first step is more subjective, intuitive, and organic, while the second step is more objective and alert,” Hiro explains in the official press release. “I repeat these steps several times, and almost two personas continuously agree and conflict with each other during the entire painting process.”
The exhibition features two new sculptures, Caving (Bronze) and Two Mouths (Stainless Steel), which are inspired by a silicone face mold from Hiro’s 2013 video The Pit (Dancer with Golden Lips). In this video, also on display, Hiro employs a mask worn backward, transforming the lips into a symbolic void, and performs a mesmerizing dance that probes the unseen aspects of our physical and psychological selves.
Visitors will also encounter Hiro’s latest large-scale work, The Swimmer (2024), a 25-foot painting on unstretched canvas. For this piece, Hiro employed his own body as an artistic instrument, weaving and melding it into the canvas using ropes and pulleys, along with dyes, paints, and oil sticks. Hiro describes the process:
The experience of going up and down on the folded canvas, spraying dyes and stroking with oil sticks was like tackling a challenging seascape. The dots and lines on the painting signify the marks left by the struggle with the material and size of the canvas. Ultimately, I felt like making a raft on the ocean to rescue myself. Without them I would have drowned.
Born in Osaka, Japan, Hiro is known for exploring themes of identity and the human body. His dynamic works span various mediums, reflecting deep engagements with personal and cultural dualities. Hiro has held numerous solo exhibitions, including In the Ravine at Misako & Rosen in Tokyo, Subterranean & Wanderer at Brennan & Griffin in New York, and Sand-Man at Bortolami in New York. His work has been featured in group exhibitions at major venues such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and MOCA, Los Angeles.
