LIFE IN THE POND
MITSUO KIMURA
FROM FEBRUARY 3RD TO FEBRUARY 28TH
OPENING FEBRUARY 5TH, 2010 FROM 7-10PM
Japanese born artist Mitsuo Kimura unleashes a frenzy of creatures and characters that serve as a personal exploration of his experiences navigating a new country and the intricacies of its relationships and communication styles. Having visited Canada to learn and improve his English speaking skills in 2007, Kimura returned to Japan invigorated by his experience of a new culture and began to search for an audience for his work. Longing for a return to Canada to continue his development in English and his Art practice, Kimura, who holds a BFA from Musashino Art University (Japan) began to search for galleries who exhibit artists in his generation and aesthetic. Drawn to artists Nicholas Di Genova and Katie Pretti at LE Gallery, Kimura applied with a portfolio of unique, youthful images, born out of his experience in the culture of both rural and urban Japan. Densely crafted paintings on paper of animals and characters explore the concept of the earth as a pond in which all life exists, its joys, pains, and disappointments. Narrative based and truly inspired by a childhood in the saturated visual environment of Japan, Kimura’s rendering skills impress and reflect a dedication and devotion to the understanding of the world around him. Taking the form of popular anime in it’s detail, colour and playful imagery, Kimura crafts images unique to the North American audience, whom often experience artists experiencing asian otaku culture through the lens of Western experience.
Life in the Pond marks Mitsuo Kimura’s first solo exhibition with LE Gallery in Toronto, Canada. His work has been exhibited at Show & Tell Gallery (Toronto) and Headbones Gallery (Toronto).