- TOP
- EXHIBITIONS
Gustavo ISOE
- Tsuyoshi Isoe
- Bodegón
- 1993
- Oil on board
- 70 × 92 cm
- Schedule&Venu
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Matsumoto
2024
Feb 23
(fri)
Mar 31
(sun)
10:30-18:00
Closed on Mon, Tue
Minami-Aoyama Room
2024
Apr 05
(fri)
Apr 20
(sat)
13:00-18:00
Closed on Sun, Mon
- Overview
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We are pleased to announce an exhibition "Tsuyoshi Isoe" held in two venues in Nagano and Tokyo. Tsuyoshi Isoe's paintings evoke a profound spirituality, seemingly encompassing life and death, through his penetrating gaze and remarkable depiction skills. This exhibition focuses on the first half of his artistic career spanning over 30 years, showcasing works created from his twenties to thirties.
This exhibition primarily focuses on artworks recently returned from Spain, including unreleased pieces in Japan, totaling seven works. The exhibited pieces comprise a self-portrait drawing from Isoe's mid-twenties, presented under the artist name Gustavo Isoe, when he began presenting his work extensively in Madrid. Additionally, the exhibition features repeated figure sketches done in front of models and three oil paintings following the tradition of Bodegón, a still-life genre meaning "kitchen items," traditional still-life paintings in Spain since the 17th century.
After graduating from high school, Isoe journeyed to Madrid, a significant stage in Western art history, where he immersed himself in the study of Spanish academic drawing while meticulously copying works by artists such as Dürer and the Flemish school at the Prado Museum. Even after his debut as a painter, he continued to refine his skills and evolve, establishing his unique artistic language. The works exhibited in this show coincide with the period when Isoe began to make his presence felt in the art scene in Spain.
Seventeen years have passed since Isoe's untimely passing at the age of 53. However, even after the departure of the artist, exceptional paintings continue to be infused with new life by the viewers. "It is not oneself but the subject that is being expressed," Isoe stated in the catalog of his solo exhibition held at the age of 50, defining his work as "not merely the patient reproduction of images passively reflected on the cornea but discovering providence from within the space and existence of objects." Isoe was an artist who consistently delved into the profundity of "seeing." We hope that this exhibition serves as an opportunity to reflect on the journey he undertook until his later years.
[Quote excerpted from the preface of "Tsuyoshi Isoe 1994-2004" (Saihodo Gallery Catalog), April 2004]
- Exhibited Work
PAST