The gallery "NOKOGIRI" is holding an exhibition titled "NOKOGIRI KOKOMADE / The Short Stories of NOKOGIRI." This exhibition is the first group show to introduce five ceramic artists who have previously held solo exhibitions at "NOKOGIRI."
Ceramics as an art form has been used since ancient times as a means to transcend the boundaries between imagination and reality, utility and futility, humans and animals, surface and innards. Every person is born with all the history and the universe contained within their body. However, as with all memories, these are linked with the imagination in the mind, dissolved in the blood, and given form as they move the muscles and are expressed through the fingertips. The practice of ceramics is a phenomenon where the physical act of kneading clay and the passage of time cause the formless to ferment and solidify into shapes.
As Marianne says, if creating works in ceramics is a battle with the frustrating wait times, then this exhibition is also a journey through the patience of contemporary women. Without waiting, forms cannot be obtained, and if the form is not visible, it does not exist. The feast of exceedingly diverse forms that five contemporary priestesses have summoned is now before you. Climb the stairs and open the door, and it’s your time.
Ceramics as an art form has been used since ancient times as a means to transcend the boundaries between imagination and reality, utility and futility, humans and animals, surface and innards. Every person is born with all the history and the universe contained within their body. However, as with all memories, these are linked with the imagination in the mind, dissolved in the blood, and given form as they move the muscles and are expressed through the fingertips. The practice of ceramics is a phenomenon where the physical act of kneading clay and the passage of time cause the formless to ferment and solidify into shapes.
As Marianne says, if creating works in ceramics is a battle with the frustrating wait times, then this exhibition is also a journey through the patience of contemporary women. Without waiting, forms cannot be obtained, and if the form is not visible, it does not exist. The feast of exceedingly diverse forms that five contemporary priestesses have summoned is now before you. Climb the stairs and open the door, and it’s your time.
・About the Exhibition
NOKOGIRI KOKOMADE / The Short Stories of NOKOGIRI
It has been about two and a half years since the gallery "NOKOGIRI" opened. This exhibition, "NOKOGIRI KOKOMADE / The Short Stories of NOKOGIRI," reflects on that brief history with five artists: Marianne Hallberg, Jenni Tuominen, Marina Le Gall, Clémentine de Chabaneix, and Apollinaria Broche. This will be our first exhibition in a group show format.
"NOKOGIRI" started with the concept of introducing contemporary ceramic artists. It just so happened that the artists we wanted to introduce were all ceramists, which led to this style. But honestly, we just wanted a space called a gallery where we could do anything we liked. And it all started with Marianne Hallberg. If we hadn't encountered her work, "NOKOGIRI" wouldn't exist.
At Tonkachi, we have always dealt with ceramics, and we had been handling Marianne’s bowls and vases. But Marianne had another side to her as an artist. She created many works that were far removed from practicality, like mysterious plates and objects (like prison windows and other incomprehensible pieces). If you tried to talk to her about those, the conversation would never end. It seemed that her focus was on those works, meaning that’s what she really wanted to do, while the bowls and vases were just something she did for a living. (However, this was my misunderstanding. For her, both were as important as the brain and heart.) Anyway, we were more interested in that side of her work.
Those mysterious works could only be called art, but they were decisively different from the art I knew. What was the difference? They were personal, humorous, unnecessary—these characteristics could apply to regular art as well. But, for example, Marianne’s humor is not the kind of humor that makes you laugh out loud. It’s the kind of humor where you accidentally see a note or doodle someone left on a desk, and it makes you smile a little. It’s the kind of humor that makes you think, "Oh, so this is what that person was thinking? Why did they draw this? That’s funny." Her approach to objects is the same. When she takes up things like nail polish bottles, futon beaters, hangers, or buckets, she doesn't imbue them with a social message. These are just things that, at some point, caught Marianne’s attention as interesting or a little nice—ordinary objects that she acknowledged. There’s love there, but no meaning. We were moved by how, within Marianne’s work, expressions were sprouting up like weeds, born only from personal senses that could only emerge from daily life. It’s not about dressing up in fancy clothes or trading knowledge and gossip, but about expressions that keep growing no matter how much you cut them down, like weeds.
We wanted to showcase Marianne’s work on that side on a large scale, but it was difficult to do so in a typical store (in other words, they wouldn’t do it because it didn’t seem like it would sell). So, we thought, "Wouldn’t we need something called a ‘gallery’? If we had a place with the name ‘gallery,’ we could do whatever we wanted, right?" And that’s how the idea came about. "Alright, let’s create a gallery! The first exhibition will focus on that side of Marianne Hallberg, showing the core of the artist Marianne! The venue will be a warehouse near the office, so we’ll start there! We’ll ask the genius architect we know, Koji Takematsu, to design it!" Although we decided on all this, various things happened, and we couldn't start the construction for a long time. When we were about to give up, thinking that art had abandoned us, we encountered the works of Clémentine.
Clémentine was discovered by MS, Tonkachi's genius talent scout, who also found Lisa Larson and Marianne. I liked Clémentine’s work at first sight. Naturally, I wanted to do something together with her, but this person was entirely active in the realm of art, so it was difficult to do anything in the commercial market, which we are good at. So, we thought, "Then we should do art too! Let’s expand into that area! Yes, after all, it’s a gallery!" Suddenly, what had seemed impossible began to progress rapidly.
Marianne and Clémentine were the catalysts for the birth of "NOKOGIRI." As eternal amateurs, we were often bewildered by the art gallery world. But so far, we have enjoyed it immensely. This exhibition is a sort of interim report. All five artists are women, all express themselves by kneading clay, all are like priestesses, and all remain girls at heart. Many paths intersect here, and the distance from one end to the other is considerable. This exhibition, "NOKOGIRI KOKOMADE / The Short Stories of NOKOGIRI," is an abrupt introduction to this situation.
We crammed the works into a small space. We set it up with the idea of an art home center in mind. It is thoroughly personal, unnecessary, and does not discriminate between dreams and reality. I hope these qualities reach you not as confusing meanings but as the texture of meaninglessness.
It has been about two and a half years since the gallery "NOKOGIRI" opened. This exhibition, "NOKOGIRI KOKOMADE / The Short Stories of NOKOGIRI," reflects on that brief history with five artists: Marianne Hallberg, Jenni Tuominen, Marina Le Gall, Clémentine de Chabaneix, and Apollinaria Broche. This will be our first exhibition in a group show format.
"NOKOGIRI" started with the concept of introducing contemporary ceramic artists. It just so happened that the artists we wanted to introduce were all ceramists, which led to this style. But honestly, we just wanted a space called a gallery where we could do anything we liked. And it all started with Marianne Hallberg. If we hadn't encountered her work, "NOKOGIRI" wouldn't exist.
At Tonkachi, we have always dealt with ceramics, and we had been handling Marianne’s bowls and vases. But Marianne had another side to her as an artist. She created many works that were far removed from practicality, like mysterious plates and objects (like prison windows and other incomprehensible pieces). If you tried to talk to her about those, the conversation would never end. It seemed that her focus was on those works, meaning that’s what she really wanted to do, while the bowls and vases were just something she did for a living. (However, this was my misunderstanding. For her, both were as important as the brain and heart.) Anyway, we were more interested in that side of her work.
Those mysterious works could only be called art, but they were decisively different from the art I knew. What was the difference? They were personal, humorous, unnecessary—these characteristics could apply to regular art as well. But, for example, Marianne’s humor is not the kind of humor that makes you laugh out loud. It’s the kind of humor where you accidentally see a note or doodle someone left on a desk, and it makes you smile a little. It’s the kind of humor that makes you think, "Oh, so this is what that person was thinking? Why did they draw this? That’s funny." Her approach to objects is the same. When she takes up things like nail polish bottles, futon beaters, hangers, or buckets, she doesn't imbue them with a social message. These are just things that, at some point, caught Marianne’s attention as interesting or a little nice—ordinary objects that she acknowledged. There’s love there, but no meaning. We were moved by how, within Marianne’s work, expressions were sprouting up like weeds, born only from personal senses that could only emerge from daily life. It’s not about dressing up in fancy clothes or trading knowledge and gossip, but about expressions that keep growing no matter how much you cut them down, like weeds.
We wanted to showcase Marianne’s work on that side on a large scale, but it was difficult to do so in a typical store (in other words, they wouldn’t do it because it didn’t seem like it would sell). So, we thought, "Wouldn’t we need something called a ‘gallery’? If we had a place with the name ‘gallery,’ we could do whatever we wanted, right?" And that’s how the idea came about. "Alright, let’s create a gallery! The first exhibition will focus on that side of Marianne Hallberg, showing the core of the artist Marianne! The venue will be a warehouse near the office, so we’ll start there! We’ll ask the genius architect we know, Koji Takematsu, to design it!" Although we decided on all this, various things happened, and we couldn't start the construction for a long time. When we were about to give up, thinking that art had abandoned us, we encountered the works of Clémentine.
Clémentine was discovered by MS, Tonkachi's genius talent scout, who also found Lisa Larson and Marianne. I liked Clémentine’s work at first sight. Naturally, I wanted to do something together with her, but this person was entirely active in the realm of art, so it was difficult to do anything in the commercial market, which we are good at. So, we thought, "Then we should do art too! Let’s expand into that area! Yes, after all, it’s a gallery!" Suddenly, what had seemed impossible began to progress rapidly.
Marianne and Clémentine were the catalysts for the birth of "NOKOGIRI." As eternal amateurs, we were often bewildered by the art gallery world. But so far, we have enjoyed it immensely. This exhibition is a sort of interim report. All five artists are women, all express themselves by kneading clay, all are like priestesses, and all remain girls at heart. Many paths intersect here, and the distance from one end to the other is considerable. This exhibition, "NOKOGIRI KOKOMADE / The Short Stories of NOKOGIRI," is an abrupt introduction to this situation.
We crammed the works into a small space. We set it up with the idea of an art home center in mind. It is thoroughly personal, unnecessary, and does not discriminate between dreams and reality. I hope these qualities reach you not as confusing meanings but as the texture of meaninglessness.
HO (NOKOGIRI)
(P.S.) The first four artists have each held solo exhibitions at "NOKOGIRI," but for Apollinaria, this is her first appearance at "NOKOGIRI," having only been introduced at an art fair before. Please enjoy this as a bonus track of the exhibition!Due to space limitations, we could not introduce all the artists who have held exhibitions so far. We plan to organize more "summary exhibitions" like this one in the future, to showcase works from new perspectives, including those of artists who weren’t featured this time. Please look forward to it!
・Information
At the nearby "TONKACHI,6," we offer a variety of artworks and goods, including those by Lisa Larson and other affiliated artists. Please stop by!
Exhibition Title: NOKOGIRI KOKOMADE / The Short Stories of NOKOGIRI
Artists: Various Artists
Participating Artists:
Apollinaria Broche
Clémentine de Chabaneix
Jenni Tuominen
Marina Le Gall
Marianne Hallberg
Dates: September 6, 2024 (Fri) - October 27, 2024 (Sun)
Gallery Hours:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Closed: Monday to Thursday (Open on public holidays)
Venue: NOKOGIRI
2F Daiichi Nishio Building, 5-17 Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0033
*There is no elevator.
*Photography is prohibited for this exhibition.
[email protected]
Exhibition Title: NOKOGIRI KOKOMADE / The Short Stories of NOKOGIRI
Artists: Various Artists
Participating Artists:
Apollinaria Broche
Clémentine de Chabaneix
Jenni Tuominen
Marina Le Gall
Marianne Hallberg
Dates: September 6, 2024 (Fri) - October 27, 2024 (Sun)
Gallery Hours:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Closed: Monday to Thursday (Open on public holidays)
Venue: NOKOGIRI
2F Daiichi Nishio Building, 5-17 Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0033
*There is no elevator.
*Photography is prohibited for this exhibition.
[email protected]
・About Artists
Apollinaria Broche
Born in 1995 in Moscow, Russia, Apollinaria Broche graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry and later moved to Paris, where she graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. She also studied art at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Currently, she works between Paris and Pietrasanta, Italy, creating works in bronze, ceramics, and installation art. In 2022, she collaborated with the Swedish contemporary fashion brand ACNE STUDIOS.
Clémentine de Chabaneix
Born in 1972 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, Clémentine de Chabaneix was raised in an artistic family and is the granddaughter of world-renowned sculptors François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne. She studied theater at Ecole du Passage in France, and later studied drawing, painting, and sculpture at Ecole Pradier in France. She is known for her ceramic sculptures and bronze works using soft-colored glazes, gaining international recognition through exhibitions in France and abroad.
Jenni Tuominen
Born in 1976 in Landskrona, Sweden. She moved to Finland when she was six years old.
Jenni studied fine art at Turku Arts Academy and graphic design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki. After winning the Marimekko design competition in 2006, she has created numerous designs for the company. In 2017, she received the Finnish State Prize in the illustration category. Jenni is an artist whose work transcends the boundaries of illustration, art, and design, working in ceramics,painting, and pattern design. Jenni gets inspiration from nature and summertime cottage life in the countryside.
She lives and works in Porvoo, Finland.
Marina Le Gall
Born in 1986 to a farming family in Quimperlé, Brittany, France, Marina Le Gall spent her childhood surrounded by animals. After graduating from high school, she studied ceramics at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. Following an exchange at Sydney College of the Arts, she obtained a DNSAP (National Higher Diploma of Plastic Arts, a French national vocational qualification in the field of arts). Since then, she has exhibited in Paris, London, Brussels, and other cities around the world. Her 2016 project, "Hannibal," a three-meter-tall sculpture created in a forest on the outskirts of Paris, gained international attention.
Marianne Hallberg
Born in 1952 in the port city of Gothenburg, Sweden, Marianne Hallberg is the daughter of a florist. After spending her youth traveling the world, she began working in ceramics. She graduated with a master's degree from the School of Design and Crafts at the University of Gothenburg in 1981 and has been an active member of the Sintra Gallery in Gothenburg since 1983. Her unique style has captured the attention of avant-garde creators, and she is admired as a ceramic artist by younger generations. Marianne is an artist loved by other artists, and her motto is "Be Kind."
Born in 1995 in Moscow, Russia, Apollinaria Broche graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry and later moved to Paris, where she graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. She also studied art at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Currently, she works between Paris and Pietrasanta, Italy, creating works in bronze, ceramics, and installation art. In 2022, she collaborated with the Swedish contemporary fashion brand ACNE STUDIOS.
Clémentine de Chabaneix
Born in 1972 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, Clémentine de Chabaneix was raised in an artistic family and is the granddaughter of world-renowned sculptors François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne. She studied theater at Ecole du Passage in France, and later studied drawing, painting, and sculpture at Ecole Pradier in France. She is known for her ceramic sculptures and bronze works using soft-colored glazes, gaining international recognition through exhibitions in France and abroad.
Jenni Tuominen
Born in 1976 in Landskrona, Sweden. She moved to Finland when she was six years old.
Jenni studied fine art at Turku Arts Academy and graphic design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki. After winning the Marimekko design competition in 2006, she has created numerous designs for the company. In 2017, she received the Finnish State Prize in the illustration category. Jenni is an artist whose work transcends the boundaries of illustration, art, and design, working in ceramics,painting, and pattern design. Jenni gets inspiration from nature and summertime cottage life in the countryside.
She lives and works in Porvoo, Finland.
Marina Le Gall
Born in 1986 to a farming family in Quimperlé, Brittany, France, Marina Le Gall spent her childhood surrounded by animals. After graduating from high school, she studied ceramics at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. Following an exchange at Sydney College of the Arts, she obtained a DNSAP (National Higher Diploma of Plastic Arts, a French national vocational qualification in the field of arts). Since then, she has exhibited in Paris, London, Brussels, and other cities around the world. Her 2016 project, "Hannibal," a three-meter-tall sculpture created in a forest on the outskirts of Paris, gained international attention.
Marianne Hallberg
Born in 1952 in the port city of Gothenburg, Sweden, Marianne Hallberg is the daughter of a florist. After spending her youth traveling the world, she began working in ceramics. She graduated with a master's degree from the School of Design and Crafts at the University of Gothenburg in 1981 and has been an active member of the Sintra Gallery in Gothenburg since 1983. Her unique style has captured the attention of avant-garde creators, and she is admired as a ceramic artist by younger generations. Marianne is an artist loved by other artists, and her motto is "Be Kind."