Exhibitions | MAKI Gallery | MAKI

MAKI Gallery is pleased to announce Undersurface, a solo exhibition by Kamakura-based artist Anne Kagioka Rigoulet. This exhibition, held at our Tennoz gallery space, marks the 10th anniversary of her Reflection series, which has been the main focus of her creative practice since its inception in 2014. The show will reflect on the origins of this series and showcase the latest works of the past decade.

The title of this exhibition, Undersurface, embodies Kagioka's deep-seated desire to visualise "hidden layers and invisible worlds beyond mere surface appearances," a sentiment she has imbued in her work from the very beginning. In this series, the artist is not seeking to recreate the images reflected on water surfaces but rather to capture what lies beneath and behind the perceivable realm—such as the energy that shapes nature, the ambience and sensations of a place, and the movements and forces that emerge during the process of abstraction where tangible forms lose their original shapes. These elements are then brought to life on canvas as paintings.

The resulting works are never about interpretations or specific narratives. Instead, Kagioka seeks to explore the inherent potential of painting itself, avoiding the imposition of words or figurative images. By delving into the essence of painting—what moment to capture, what composition to depict, what colour and material texture to apply, and how to create a painting surface that directly affects someone’s deepest sensibilities—her work brings forth vigour and dynamism.

In this exhibition, Kagioka places particular emphasis on her continued dedication to the exploration of colour, investigating the balance and interplay of hues and saturation in each piece. Alongside meticulously chosen colours, she employs the classical mural technique known as sgraffito and fabric collages to create varied surface textures and volumes, further expanding the diversity of her work. The watercolour studies displayed alongside the finished pieces offer insight into Kagioka's unique use of colour and the process by which the three-dimensional quality of her work emerges, providing viewers with a deeper appreciation of her artistic journey.