Reinhardt Søbye's Art Exhibition titled "The Dark Forest" will open on March 6, at Toho Gallery in Ginza, Tokyo.
Reinhardt Søbye Exhibition - The Dark Forest-
Schedule:
March 6 - 25, Closed on Sundays and holidays
11:00-19:00
Venue:
Toho Gallery (2nd floor, Hokoku Building, Kyobashi 3-9-2, Chuo-ku Tokyo)
TEL.03-3562-6054
Without any formal art education, Reinhardt Søbye dropped out of
University to concentrate on art full time. The decision paid off and
the self-taught artist has had successful exhibitions in a range of
countries including Japan, England, the US, Cuba, France and Denmark.
Søbye's work is deeply critical of modern society and concentrates
on grim human issues such as war, poverty, loneliness and
discrimination. The stark realism in his work often shocks the viewer
and has won much acclaim among art critics.
The Evening Yomiuri Shinbun wrote of Søbye "He has dug deep into the
mental landscape that is committed to solitude, anxiety, fear and hope.
With "Anxiety" and "Hope " , each wrinkle is etched into the old
woman's face as if they are deep ravines and at the same time are
spores of the imagination leading from the innermost reaches of the
human mind."
After loosing his studio to a fire in 2001, Søbye moved away from
drawing and has in the past years focused on computer production. With
a collage technique combining digitally enhanced photographs, drawings,
oils, Plexiglas and other 3-dimensional elements, Søbye's art is
captivating and unique.
By his own initiative, Søbye sent his material to various
Japanese art critics including the prominent art expert Ichiro Hariu.
Hariu was impressed by Søbye's work and contacted several Japanese
galleries resulting in a solo exhibition at Toho gallery in Tokyo in
1994. The following years Søbye held a total of six solo exhibits in
the gallery, building an avid Japanese fan base.
In 1999 Asahi Newspaper honoured Søbye with retrospective
exhibitions at the Tokyo, Shinmonseki, and Kariya museums. In 2000
Hariu selected Søbye as curator for the exhibition "Art and Human
Being" in the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea, but unfortunately
he wasn't able to attend. Over 10 Søbye pieces were however
presented at the event.
Søbye held another solo exhibition in the Toho gallery in 2003, and
after touring various other countries, returns to Tokyo this year to
present his project "The Dark Forest" in March.
