Joakim Ojanen

"Circle of Life"

16 Sep - 14 Oct, 2023

AISHONANZUKA is pleased to present the solo exhibition “Circle of Life” showcasing works by Joakim Ojanen on view from 16 September to 14 October, 2023.

“Circle of Life” narrates the ambiguity as a visual language of creativity, relationships between life and the universe. Circle is one of the oldest symbols since ancient times. It is the balance between Yin and Yang; it is a perfect Full Moon; it is the divine symbol in Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci; the universe in Alchemy. The circle is endless, and hence infinity, as its existence revolves forever.

The circle is believed to be intimately connected to the thoughts and emotions of its creator. Joakim's large-scale ceramic works Circle of Life represents the artist's unlimited creativity and curiosity for the meaning of life. This circle composed by ceramic works of human, animals, and plants invites the audience to peer through the soul of the artist, to retrospect our relationships with other lives, and death.

Ojanen (b.1985, Västerås, Sweden) received his BA in 2012 from Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, and his MFA in 2014 from Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. Since then, he has exhibited widely from Stockholm to Los Angeles, Cologne and Paris, Edinburgh, Belgium and New York. Ojanen's works feature a variety of unique characters. Many of the motifs are based on his home country and living environment where Ojanen grew up. At first glance, the artist's deep emotions and sensations are directly reflected in original expressions that seem innocent, such as raw textures and expressive characters that can be seen in sculptures and paintings, and unique color sense that puts them together.

AISHONANZUKA 欣然呈獻瑞典藝術家 Joakim Ojanen的個展:「生命循環」，展期為 2023 年 9 月 16 日至 10 月 14 日。

本次展覽中，Ojanen 以富創造力的視覺語言敘述了混沌以及生命與宇宙之間的關係。 圓形作為符號源遠流長：它是中國太極哲學中陰陽之間的平衡；是完美的滿月；是達文西筆 下《維特魯威人》中的神聖象徵；也是煉金術中的宇宙符號。 圓是無止境的，是為無限 —— 圓的存在就是個永恆的循環。

人們相信，圓形與創造它的人的思想和情感有著密切聯繫。 而在Ojanen本次展出的大型 陶瓷作品《生命之圓》中，由多個人形、動物、及植物的陶瓷作品拼合成圓，代表了藝術家對生命意義的無限好奇與想像，同時邀請觀眾一瞥藝術家的靈魂，反思我們與其他生命， 以及與死亡的關係。

Ojanen（ 1985 年出生於瑞典韋斯特羅斯）於 2012 年在瑞典國立藝術工藝設計大學獲得學士學位，並於 2014 年在同校取得其藝術碩士。及後，他的展覽從斯德哥爾摩發展到洛杉磯、科隆、巴黎、愛丁堡、比利時和紐約等地。Ojanen 的作品具有各種獨特的人物特徵。 許多圖案都是基於他的國家和成長時的生活環境。 觀眾可以從對作品的第一眼中，感受到藝術家在看似天真和原始的創作表達中，埋藏着深厚的情感和觸覺。例如在雕塑和繪畫中我們可以看到原始紋理和富有表現力的角色，以及將它們組合在一起的獨特色彩組合。