Galerie Khoshbakht

Ryo Kinoshita

Info: In Japanese thought, one concept resonates particularly strongly with Ryo Kinoshita’s painting and sculpture: Ma. A fundamental principle of Japanese aesthetics and philosophy, Ma refers to an interval, a space or duration that connects rather than separates. This subtle notion permeates the arts, architecture and interpersonal relationships in Japan, embodying an idea of harmony, balance and beauty within apparent emptiness. What separates two elements is also what makes their relation and perception possible. In German, Ma might be approached through the term Zwischenraum, although the Japanese concept encompasses a broader range of meanings. What does this space in between make possible? For Kinoshita, it first suggests a form of stepping back, as reflected in his own situation today, between Japan and Düsseldorf, where he lives. Ma also implies the possibility of creating new connections and configurations. In traditional Japanese architecture, for instance, sliding partitions can alter the configuration of a house and, depending on their position, transform the function of its spaces. Ma opens onto a multiplicity of possible arrangements, like a construction game. It is precisely this space in between that Kinoshita’s work explores, both in the material construction of his works and in the shifting distance between them and the viewer. (…)