yusuke asai embellishes rice gallery with yamatane earth painting

yusuke asai embellishes rice gallery with yamatane earth painting
yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

yusuke asai: yamatane
rice gallery, houston, texas
on now until november 23rd, 2014

yusuke asai‘s chosen medium may be a bit unconventional, but the japanese artist has garnered quite a reputation for envisioning all encompassing site-specific mural paintings rendered in pigmented earth which he collects from the surrounding environment of his artwork’s various locations.

earlier this year, he covered a classroom in maharashtra, india using water and soil from the area to create a hypnotizing mural of mud. his exhibition ‘yamatane’ (mountain seed) at rice gallery is no different. he has taken to the walls and floors of the cultural institution with mud and soil from houston and surrounding areas if texas, USA, employing the natural substance to render a dense landscape of animals inhabited by imaginary creatures, amidst birds, cats, foxes and insects; while tiny people, floating bubbles and sun rays metamorphosize themselves into rolling mountains, geological forms and tribal patterns that start to creep across the space

yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

for asai, ‘yamatane’ stands as a living universe and ecosystem, demonstrating just one moment of a world in constant change. ‘dirt is by nature very different than materials sold in art stores! seeds grow in it and it is home to many insects and microorganisms. it is a ‘living’ medium.’ – yusuke asai

yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

yusuke asai, yamatane, 2014
commission, rice university art gallery, houston, texas
photo © nash baker

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