"M, Acting with a Bang!" Yuki Murai

MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY is delighted to present Yuki Murai’s new solo exhibition, “M, Acting with a Bang!”, opening on February 7, 2025.

Murai has consistently pushed the boundaries of painting by employing oversized canvases and uniquely developed, weighty mediums to create works that transcend traditional formats. In this exhibition, he takes a step beyond material exploration to tackle a new concept: perceiving the phenomenon of “accepting the artist’s character” as an integral part of painting expression.

According to Murai, an artist’s “character”—shaped by their behavior, words, and appearance—forms a public image through which viewers interpret the artwork. However, this process carries an inherent risk: the audience may unconsciously divide their perception between the artist’s character and the artwork itself, potentially losing sight of what should truly be discovered in the work.

How can one overcome this division to create universal and multifaceted works? How can an individual narrative connect to a greater story? In this exhibition, Murai proposes one possible answer. By treating his own “character” as a medium of painting, he integrates it with elements from Rococo painting structures, as well as manga and picture book formats, reimagining the character as something that emerges anew within the context of painting. Through this process, Murai aims to establish a space where freer and more ambitious expressions can intersect.

The exhibition will feature four two-dimensional works, two sculptural pieces, and a musical composition with lyrics and music created by Murai himself.