Kyohei Sakaguchi Drawings 2000-2011

Kyohei Sakaguchi
Drawings 2000-2011

In conjunction with the Centre A 12^th Anniversary Fundraising Gala & Art Auction

Exhibition: April 21 to May 5, 2011
Artist Talk & Film Screening: Thursday, April 21, 6 – 8 pm
“From 0 Yen House to House at Ground ¥0 ”
Opening Reception: April 21, 8 pm

Curator Makiko Hara

*the gallery is closed from April 22 – 25 for the Easter Holiday

All images courtesy of the artist and collectors.

Centre A is pleased to present “Kyohei Sakaguchi – Drawings” a solo exhibition of Japanese artist, Kyohei Sakaguchi. This will be the second solo exhibition of Sakaguchi in Vancouver, and the first-ever presentation of the artist highlighting his drawing works. The exhibition features more than 150 drawings by the artist produced during the last 10 years, from 2000- 2011. Comprised of works assembled from the artist’s archive and from several private collectors, this exhibition explores a number of distinct ways that Sakaguchi uses drawing in an important role in the development of his philosophy and attitude, and in the creation of his art in relation to his urban ‘field work’, research and writing.

Born in Kumamoto, Japan and currently living in Tokyo, Kyohei Sakaguchi is multi-talented artist, writer, thinker, urban researcher and architect.  Sakaguchi has participated in many solo and group exhibitions internationally to present his architectural models, installations, drawings, and photography. These include his first solo exhibition, Zero Yen House (Vancouver Art Gallery 2006); Informal Architecture (the Walter Philips Gallery, Banff 2007) and  ICA Plug In (Winnipeg 2008); World Social Forum International Workshop (Nairobi, Kenya 2006); Global Life Japon[s] (St Nazaier, France 2007); Contemporary Art Museum (Kumamoto , Japan 2009), and Scotiabank Nuit Blanche (Toronto 2009) .

Between 2004 and 2010, Sakaguchi has published five fiction and non-fiction books in Japanese based on his ‘urban field research’ with an innovative and self sufficient group of people living in temporary houses in urban streets. His most Recent book, “How to Live in Cities: Starting from Scratch, Urban Hunting and Gathering Lifestyle” (Ota Shuppan, 2010) received significant media and critical coverage. Sakaguchi has become one of the most influential thinkers, writers and lecturers in the in Japan today.

This year, one of his novels, “Tokyo 0 Yen-House- 0 Yen Life” (Daiwa-shobo, Japan 2008) will be made into a large budget feature film, and will be published as an e-book in Korean, English and French for the first time.

The exhibition is specially organized in conjunction with Centre A’s 12^th Anniversary Fundraising Gala Dinner and Art Auction  with the aim of addressing the unique relationship and personal support system between artists, collectors and the non-profit art organization. Since his first Vancouver solo exhibition at Vancouver Art Gallery in 2006, Sakaguchi has donated drawings to Centre A’s fundraising Auctions every year. Over the last 4 years, Vancouver collectors have acquired a significant number of his works. This year, for our upcoming auction on May 7^th, Sakaguchi is generously donating a large scale oil drawing on canvas, (196″ x 60″). For this occasion, we present this new work together along with his other drawings assembled from prominent Vancouver collections.

On April 21, Sakaguchi will give a public talk presenting his most recent field work and sustainable housing projects including “House at Ground ¥0 ” of which the artist has initiated for the reconstruction of severely damaged towns by the recent massive quake and Tsunami in Japan followed by the Japan’s worst nuclear accident.

All drawings in the exhibition (except the works loaned from the collectors) are available for purchase during the exhibition and the proceeds of the sales support his House at Ground ¥0 project in Japan.

Our gratitude to Jack & Maryon Adelaar, Rick Erickson, Sherry Killam, Stephanie Holmquist & Mark Allison, Chris Keatley & Tracy Lawrence, and Michael O’Brian. With heartfelt thanks we acknowledge those who made works available for loan to the exhibition.

Centre A gratefully acknowledges the support of all its patrons, sponsors, members, partners, private foundations, and government funding agencies, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, and the City of Vancouver through the Office of Cultural Affairs.

Kyohei Sakaguchi Website: www.0yenhouse.com

The artist will attend the opening and stay in Vancouver from April 17 to 24.

Interview with the artist is available by appointment during his stay in Vancouver.

Media Contact: Makiko Hara (curator)
[email protected]
Tel: 604-683-8326