Shinro Ohtake, Parasol Unit, London

The work of Japanese artist Shinro Ohtake appears in a solo exhibition at Parasol Unit, London, this autumn. Running 12 October – 12 December, the presentation showcases Ohtake’s extensive, diverse and innovative body of work. With a practice spanning 30 years, the artist has positioned himself as one of the most important creative forces in contemporary Japanese art. His expansive output is based primarily around the activity of cutting and pasting, but also includes drawing, pasted works, painting, sculpture and photography, as well as experimental music and videos.

Ohtake constructs his art using found images and scraps discarded from urban culture and the mass media; he often references underground music culture. In the late 1970s, the artist started his ongoing series, Scrapbooks, for which he is now well known for. Since he began he has produced more than 6o works as part of the collection. The production of each book is elaborate and extensive and, as such, each one becomes both a painted and sculptural entity in its own right. In 2013 this series was recognised at the Venice Biennale and Scrapbooks featured in a major exhibition.

The new exhibition at Parasol unit, curated by Founder and Director Ziba Ardalan, provides important exposure of Ohtake’s early, recent and new works. The showcase takes a moment to identify a number of his collections and focuses particularly on Retina and Time Memory. Audiences can also expect to see pieces from Frost and Cell. Several of Ohtake’s films, another integral part of his practice, will also be screened during the exhibition.

The presentation at Parasol Unit marks Ohtake’s first major show in a public London institution. It is accompanied by a full colour publication, including essays by Marco Livingstone and Julien Bismuth, and a related programme of educational events, family workshops, a poetry reading and artist talk at the Japan Foundation, London.

Shinro Ohtake, 12 October – 12 December, Parasol Unit, 14 Wharf Road, London, N1 7RW.

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Credits
1. Shinro Ohtake, Scrapbook #66, 2010 – 2012, Mixed media artist book, 72 x 96 x 129 cm 27.2 kg, 830 pages, Courtesy of the artist and Take Ninagawa, Tokyo, Photo: Kei Okano.
2. Shinro Ohtake, Scrapbook #66 (detail), 2010 – 2012, Mixed media artist book, 72 x 96 x 129 cm 27.2 kg, 830 pages, Courtesy of the artist and Take Ninagawa, Tokyo, Photo: Myungrae Park.