ShugoArts

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Installation movie

Click the image above to see more installation views.

 

 

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I wonder when I went to that place, I can’t quite remember clearly.
I search for the photos of that place in my phone’s saved pictures.
Those recorded dates on the screen don’t match my sense of time.
Memory doesn’t hold onto dates.
It dissolves time and space, blending them together.
Gently wavering, the forgotten and vanished begin to reveal themselves.

Naofumi MARUYAMA, 3 March 2025

 

 

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Naofumi Maruyama begins painting by placing a cotton cloth, saturated with water, on the floor. Utilizing the effect of pigments spreading and seeping into the fabric through the water, he has created numerous landscapes where the boundaries of objects dissolve ambiguously. Unlike applying layers of paint onto a firm and solid support, his process involves gradually generating colors and forms on a damp surface, much like a wetland. This approach resonates with the reality of our own existence, as we stand and live on unstable, physically shifting ground.

During his process of art-making while utilizing water as a medium, Maruyama contemplates that “everything is in flux.” We are accustomed to capturing the elusive flow of the world by representing it through diagrams and words in order to rationally understand phenomena. However, the understanding gained through such analysis does not necessarily explain the irrational events or the complex emotions that shape our individual lives.

 

Naofumi MARUYAMA, Kicking Water (continues to), 2025, acrylic on cotton, 162.3x112cm

 

“I believe that flow is inherently something that cannot be visualized. If we want to visualize it with time, it divides and stops the flow using dates and days of the week. I sometimes feel a sense of discomfort with this. Memories fade and disappear. Then, they are rearranged and reborn as something new. I want to create my art with an awareness of this kind of flow.”

Like stars flickering in the vast expanse of time and space, our memories of life exist and form meaning. Naofumi Maruyama’s wavering art may serve as a place where these fragments gradually come together. In this exhibition, we will present over six new works of Maruyama, including a large-scale piece measuring 3.6 meters, inspired by waterside nature. Additionally, Maruyama’s artist book BRACKISH WATER, which compiles photographs he captures in daily life, has recently been published. This accordion-style book is designed not only to be enjoyed by flipping through the pages but also to be unfolded and viewed three-dimensionally. Limited to six copies, each features a unique, specially crafted case. We hope you will enjoy the exhibition.

ShugoArts, March 2025

 

Naofumi MARUYAMA, Kicking Water (being called), 2025, acrylic on cotton, 145.2x97cm

 

Naofumi MARUYAMA solo exhibition NO DATE
Dates: 19 April – 7 June 2025
Venue: ShugoArts
Hours: 11am ‒ 6pm, Closed on Sun, Mon and Public Holidays

Opening reception
Date&Time: 19 April, 3pm – 6pm
Venue: ShugoArts
*The Artist will be present
Special thanks to Okashimaru.

On the opening day of the exhibition, we will offer special confections by Okashimaru, creating a moment where art and cuisine intersect. The connection between Naofumi Maruyama and Sayoko Sugiyama of Okashimaru began in the autumn two years ago. At IDOCHA, an event hosted in Kyoto by Koji Itakura, Sugiyama presented confections titled Tsuki no Wa (Moon Ring) and Ukigumo (Drifting Clouds), inspired by Maruyamaʼs new works at the time. This encounter became a new artistic revelation for Maruyama as well. For this exhibition, new confections have been specially created, inspired by Maruyamaʼs latest works. We invite you to savor these exquisite creations.

Okashimaru, Sayoko Sugiyama
Born in 1983 in Mie Prefecture, Sugiyama is currently based in Kyoto. From 2006, she was active for ten years as part of the wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionery) unit Nikka. In 2014, she founded Okashimaru, where she continues to create and sell wagashi. Feeling the expressive potential in the ephemeral nature of food, she studied wagashi in Kyoto. She views the act of eating as an experience
and strives to create confections that capture fleeting moments, leaving a lasting impression. In 2024, she published Okashimaru no Kashi through torch press.

 

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BRACKISH WATER
Photography and editing: Naofumi Maruyama
Printing and design: Kaoru Hongo (switch point)
Bookbinding: Azusa Honma (Imaginary Bookbinder)
Publication date: 19 April 2025
Size: 28 x 21.5 x 3.4 cm
Limited edition of 6 books

Naofumi Maruyama’s artist book BRACKISH WATER, which compiles photographs he captures in daily life, will be published.
Books are available at ShugoArts. Please feel free to ask the gallery staff or contact us at: info@shugoarts.com for further information.

 

 

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Naofumi MARUYAMA Related exhibitions

＞The Secrets of Color from Impressionism to Contemporary Art
Dates: 14 December 2024 – 18 May 2025
Venue: Pola Museum of Art
Museum website

＞With Me Now: The People and the Surroundings in My Art
Dates: 5 April – 22 July 2025
Venue: Bernard Buffet Museum
Museum website

*For further information, please visit the museums’ websites.

 

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Top image: Naofumi MARUYAMA, Kicking Water (NO DATE), 2025, acrylic on cotton, 162.3x112cm