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Artist

Artist Statement

Where is the border between “artificial” and “natural”?
I began to contemplate the relationship between human technology and the sublime by the trigger of disastrous nuclear incidents of 3.11. Human beings have not just lived following the natural cycle, we have been trying to strengthen and expand our limited life by armoring ourselves with technologies.
 
I have attempted to represent organic shape by combining and processing inorganic motifs such as metal and plastic. My expression is of the moment when an inorganic object has an awakening, and depict the shape as “something,” which exists between biotic and abiotic realm in abstract and realistic ways of painting. The technology which expands our physical ability such as A.I. has become a part of our life(body) more naturally, whether physically or morally. But we can’t escape from the uncanny and discomfort of our actual body becoming data-like and being controlled by the machines.
 
My artwork aims to create a “Binary-Distortion,” which stimulates the viewers to feel going back and forth between life and non-life, digital image and physical space, two-dimension and three-dimension. The detailed technique, in my art, adds physical-realism, which assumes a role as a mediator for communicating the two polar ends.
 
The boundary of “artificiality” and “nature” is updated by the shift of our current cognition, but the terror of human technological catastrophe inspires me to strive to develop my imagination. 

Biography 

1985  Born in Chiba, Japan

2008  Tsukuba University, B.F.A. in Art and Design

2010  Tokyo Gakugei University, M.F.A. in Oil painting

2013  Tokyo University of Arts, M.F.A. in Art and Education

 

Solo Exhibitions

2020  Artifact, Mitsukoshi Nihombashi, Tokyo  

2019  Ai Makita solo exhibition, Chiba bank gallery, Tokyo

2018  “Reflect on 10 years- Ai Makita”, Karuizawa New Art Museum, Nagano

2017  “Gradation”, Gallery Vask, Manila

2017  “Moving”, Gallery Inage, Chiba

2015  “Behave As a Named Existense”, Roentgen Kunst Institut von Tsutomu Ikeuchi Gallery AG, Tokyo

2013  “13・17”, Ai Kowada Gallery, Tokyo

          “SIGNS OF LIFE”, Isetan Shinjuku, Tokyo

2012  “jewels”, Gallery Kunimatsu, Tokyo

 

Group Exhibitions

2019  Self-Portrait as Mirror-Mirror as Self-Portrait, Artinformal, Manila

2019  Assorted chocolates, ANA Inter Continental Tokyo, Tokyo

2018  “Shuttlecock" ANA Inter Continental Tokyo, Tokyo

2018  “Mumyo to Kashi”, POLA Museum Annex, Tokyo

2017  “Silos”, ART3 Gallery, New York

2017  “In Organic: Japanese Artist in New York - Curated by Eric Shiner and Miwako Tezuka”, Consulate General of Japan in                     New York 

2016  “Chronicle,Chronicle! ”, Creative Center Osaka, Osaka

2015  “Speak Soft, Listen Hard ”, Gallery Underground, Manila

          “RAN-SHO KOH-JUTSU chapterⅥ curated by Tsutomu Ikeuchi”, Gallery Ten, Kanazawa

          “Sou-zou Kaigan INAGE”, Gallery Inage, Chiba

          “18th. Taro Okamoto Award”, Okamoto Taro Museum, Kanagawa  

2014  “1st. Terrada Art Award”, T-Art Gallery, Tokyo

          “HYOH-BYOH KOH-JUTSU chapterⅤ curated by Tsutomu Ikeuchi”, Spiral Garden, Tokyo

          “Summer Art Festival”, Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, Tokyo

          “The Future”, Gallery Nichido, Tokyo

2013  “TOH-KAI KOH-JUTSU chapterⅣ curated by Tsutomu Ikeuchi”, Spiral Garden, Tokyo

           Graduation Show, Tokyo National University of The Arts, Tokyo

2012  “Art Award Next 2012”, Tokyo Art Club, Tokyo

          “C-DEPOT 2012 Tokyo-Yokohama”, Red Brick Warehouse, Yokohama

2011  “Nine Colors”, Seibu Shibuya, Tokyo

          “Ai Makita and Yoshiharu Makita: Parent and Child Exhibition”, Tokyu Nagano, Nagano

          “Exhibition C-DEPOT 2011 gravity”, Spiral Garden, Tokyo

 

Art Fair

2019  Taipei Dangdai, Taipei Nangang District, Taipei

2018  Art Miami, One Herald Plaza, Miami

2018  Art Fair TOKYO2018, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo

2017  Art Taipei 2017, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei

2016  Art Taipei 2016, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei

2015  Infinity Japan Contemporary Art Show, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, Taichu

2014  Art Nagoya 2014, Westin Nagoya Hotel, Nagoya

2013  Art Fair TOKYO2013, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo

2012  Art Fair TOKYO2012, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo

           Art Taipei 2012, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei

2011  Art Kyoto 2011, Hotel Monterey Kyoto, Kyoto

 

Residency ​

2020  Art Cake, New York

2019  Shortlisted for Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam

2019  Varda Artist in Residency, Sausalito

2018  Varda Artist in Residency, Sausalito

2017  Residency Unlimited, New York

 

Awards

2017  Fellowship grant from Pola Art Foundation

2015  Prize at the 18th. Taro Okamoto Award, Taro Okamoto Museum

2015  Artistic Cultural Award in Chiba city, Chiba city foundation

2014  Prize at the 1st. Terrada Art Award, Warehouse Terrada

2013  “Selected for Collection” Prize at Graduation Show, Tokyo National University of The Arts

 

Important Private and Public Collections

Museum of Tokyo National University of Arts

Takahashi collection

 

Press and Interview

Toru Kitahara ”Drawing A Wonderful Light” PLEASE12 September 2019

Robert Anton Patterson ”Interview: Ai Makita” Leafbox http://leafbox.com/post/182585461040/interview-aimakita,

January 2019

Ronald Mabanag, Christopher Juan “Sublime rage against the machines: Ai Makita” Handpicked by Ron and

Chris: https://handpickedbyronandchris.blogspot.com/2017/01/sublime-rage-against-machines-ai-makita.html,

January 2017

Taisuke Shimanuki “Contemporary Sublime” ART NAVI, October 2013

Biography
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