Contrast in brightness Artwork

▷ Biography Born in Nagano, Japan. Drawing on the methods of conceptual and minimal art, Sakurai creates works that explore materiality and physical phenomena, incorporating themes of contrast and multilayered structure. Her practice involves reinterpreting traditional Japanese materials and techniques while seeking a dialogue with contemporary thought. Notable solo exhibitions include “Schrödinger’s Curtain” (Tokyo International Gallery, 2024) and “Y = (0.298912R + 0.586611G + 0.114478B)” (Amalgam Art Gallery, 2022). She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions and international art fairs, such as FOCUS Art Fair 2022 in Paris (Carrousel du Louvre), Art Fair Tokyo 2021 (Tokyo International Forum), and PANORAMA (Atelier Natália Gromicho). Her work has been shown at the Mitsuo Aida Museum (Tokyo) and a contemporary art museum in Seoul, and is held in the collections of temples such as Reishizan Kōunji (Kyoto), as well as corporate and public spaces in Japan and abroad. In recent years, Sakurai has deepened her exploration of the interplay between materiality and spirituality, and between tradition and innovation, through research on self-made pigments and material-focused processes. ▷ Artist Statement My work primarily centers around visualizing concepts such as "acceptance" and "mesotēs (the Golden Mean)." By employing elements of binary opposition and multilayered structures, I metaphorically represent philosophical inquiries into the origins of all things as well as theories from contemporary physics that relate to the properties and laws of matter—thus deepening the thematic focus. In particular, the visualization of contrast within my work serves as a pursuit of moments where new meaning emerges at the intersection of opposing elements—such as matter and spirit, order and becoming, tradition and innovation. This is an artistic endeavor toward peace, guided by my thematic intentions. In my process, I use a wide range of materials, including ink, mineral pigments, acrylic paints, metal, driftwood, glass, clay, wax, and foil. Each material’s inherent physicality and processual nature is reflected in the work. These materials resonate with the Japanese aesthetic sensitivity toward “things,” and with the appreciation of wabi-sabi and imperfection, while also engaging with the multiplicity and process-oriented approaches of post-20th-century contemporary art.