KOTARO NUKAGA to participate in “Art Basel Hong Kong”

KOTARO NUKAGA is pleased to announce a dual presentation of works by female Japanese artists Mako Idemitsu (1940-) and Tomona Matsukawa (1987-) for Art Basel Hong Kong 2023 from March 23(Thu) to 25(Sat), 2023.

Idemitsu has been creating experimental video works since the 1970s, and Matsukawa has become well-known for her realistic paintings that depict close-ups of scenes from daily life. The works by these two female artists represent their differing approaches to self-expression across eras, and raise questions regarding the status quo of the relationship between women and society.

Tomona Matsukawa’s works are based on interviews with women of her generation. Through their poetic, thought-provoking titles and realistic portrayals, the works capture the societal pressures and prejudices that women face and transpose that vulnerability into other values. In recent years, her artworks have explored the difficulties of raising children, expressing the conflicts arising in her own environment and experiences.

Unlike Idemitsu’s generation, which struggled to break free from an era in which it was expected that women should be tied to the home, Matsukawa, who was born in 1987, belongs to the generation that came of age in a world in which gender equality was normalized. However, both artists’ works revolve around the difficulty of living as a woman. Even as the times change, certain prejudices and discrimination against women continue to persist, while new problems arise. Within the artworks of these two artists from different times, we see a reflection of the issues of their generation and their critical awareness of the problems they face.

The presentation will include one of Idemitsu’s early works, “Woman’s House” (1972), as well as “What a Woman Made” (1973), the work that eventually became the title of her 2003 autobiography. In addition, a series of new paintings by Matsukawa will be on display. The works are based on Matsukawa’s interviews with women who have been subjected to the particular environment of recent years, one that has been shaped by social media and AI on the one hand and Covid-19 on the other, a world in which individuals continue to become further physically divided and the definition of what is “real” has become uncertain. We hope that through the presentation of these two artists who span across different generations, we can prompt further critical reflection on the environment and issues that surround us all.

■EXHIBITION DETAILS
Private View (by invitation only)
Tuesday,      March 21,  12 noon to 8pm
Wednesday, March 22,  12 noon to 5pm
Thursday,     March 23,  12 noon to 2pm
Friday,          March 24,  12 noon to 2pm
Saturday,      March 25,  11 am to 12 noon

Vernissage
Wednesday, March 22,   5pm to 9pm

Show Hours
Thursday,      March 23,   2 pm to 8pm
Friday,           March 24,   2 pm to 8pm
Saturday,       March 25,   12 noon to 6pm
■ARTISTS
Mako Idemitsu, Tomona Matsukawa

■BOOTH NO.
1C25

■VENUE
Convention & Exhibition Centre
1 Harbour Road
Wan Chai
Hong Kong, China

■OFFICIAL WEBSITE
https://www.artbasel.com/hong-kong