Refle; fraction

GALLERY HAYASHI + ART BRIDGE is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Midori Arai, entitled Refle; fraction. The show will be on view from 25th January to 15th February 2025 and will mark the artist's first solo exhibition with the gallery.
The theme of “light” in modern art history can be traced back to efforts to capture its fleeting beauty in nature, epitomised by Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. Monet’s shimmering depictions of light on water evolved into the dynamism of colour and space in Abstract Expressionism. Joan Mitchell, for instance, drew inspiration from Monet’s Water Lilies, transforming their composition and palette into bold, free, and sensuous expressions. Against this rich art historical backdrop, Arai explores new possibilities within contemporary abstract expression.
Arai’s work is characterised by her intuitive process, eschewing deliberate composition or planning in favour of random and unconscious actions. The surfaces she creates—evoking light reflecting on water in fragmented, fleeting moments—are the result of these instinctive movements. Rather than merely depicting nature, these works serve as traces of her physicality and the passage of time. Through this process, Arai conveys the phenomenon of light in an abstract manner, using unconscious action and physicality as a medium. This approach aligns with her overarching theme of “the finiteness of the body.”
The exhibition title, Refle;fraction, is a coined term merging “reflection,” “refraction,” and “fraction.” The motif of light reflected on water, emerging through her creative process, becomes a fragment of the world’s phenomena—a reminder that the ephemeral and beautiful fragments created by the artist’s body are themselves works of art.
We warmly invite you to experience this distinctive space, woven from the fleeting yet exquisite phenomena captured in Arai’s work.