NON NATURE is a project unfolding across venues including the Hankyu Umeda Main Store.
In this particular installment, the concourse space is transformed into one massive canvas by the hands of Yuichi Hirako. This exhibition is an ambitious endeavor by the internationally acclaimed contemporary artist, who constructs the entire space using nothing but "monochrome drawings."
Drawings rendered in a base of deep dark brown expand dynamically from the ceiling banners to the display windows, and down onto the floor. From within this overwhelming monochrome landscape emerges a collection of works that question the "relationship between plants and humans"—a signature theme of Hirako's oeuvre. This project showcases a rare, invaluable installation, marking a step into uncharted expressive territory by an artist drawing global acclaim.
Artist Message
NON NATURE
Cities are full of things that resemble nature or mimic natural environments. To begin with, defining what state constitutes "nature" is difficult, but most of what exists in a city can be considered man-made artifacts. While many of us live and engage in productive activities in cities for the sake of convenience, at the same time, somewhere in our minds, we yearn for nature. Nature is something unknown, an entity humans cannot control, something with which communication is impossible. I find the act of seeking healing or scenic beauty in such things to be profoundly human.
The works I am bringing to life for this project are like fragments of nature, symbols of humanity, and a blend of both at the same time. By placing my work in the heart of the metropolitan center of Osaka—at the core of one of the world's finest man-made structures—I look forward to seeing whether viewers will sense "nature" or "non-nature."
LAMPENFLORA
Although this concourse receives no natural light, I structured the space with an awareness of plants that thrive powerfully even in artificial locations. I hope visitors will experience a kind of vegetation that can only be created precisely because humans are present.
Yuichi Hirako
