CASHI

“Untitled(Squashed Ball)” 2022 wood, rubber ball dimensions variable

Senri Suzui Solo Exhibition “Futile Resistance”
Artist: Senri SUZUI

CASHI is pleased to announce the solo exhibition “Futile Resistance” by Senri Suzui, which will be held from June 28 (Fri) to July 27 (Sat).
Senri Suzui, born in 1998 in Gifu Prefecture, is an artist currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, majoring in oil painting. At the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Exhibition in 2021, she presented an installation piece titled “Itadaki,” which covered a large painting, typically expected as a graduation work, with a large white makeshift wall mimicking the wall of her studio. This work earned her the Salon de Printemps Award.
Suzui describes her work as a constant attempt to resist. However, this resistance is not an active one, like a protest; instead, it is expressed by concealing or confining the inherent meaning and individuality of her work using white cube-like walls or panels, as if to avoid being seen.
We cordially invite you to witness the subtle resistance attempted by Suzui and her work during this exhibition.

Press Release(en)

Artist Statement

Objects that pretend to be neutral appear in front of people. They emerge prominently in the line of sight, blocking their view and pressing down. At the edge of the view, something faintly comes into sight. But, well, it’s hard to see.

Did the things being blocked or pressed down desire this on their own? Do they want it? What happens if the obstacle disappears? How would it look? How would it end up looking?

“Futile Resistance.” This phrase was mentioned by Ms. Matsushima from CASHI during our first meeting where we talked about this exhibition. I pondered the meaning of these words.

First, about resistance. When I imagine resistance, I immediately imagine pressure. “Resistance” emerges when a smaller force opposes a larger one. So, is this “resistance” acting alone or is it being made to be done? Where is the agency?

Actively “resisting.”
Passively “resisting.”
Actively “not resisting.”
Passively “not resisting.”

And it’s not just “resistance,” but resistance coupled with the word “futile.” What does this mean? What is the nuance? The word “futile” carries a somewhat negative connotation. Here, it’s probably used with a bit of self-deprecating nuance.

For example, when I paint, some kind of individuality or originality emerges. Yet, I always feel a certain amount of anxiety about this originality. When this anxiety becomes excessively strong, there are times when I want to deny my own work. Hence, I hide the surface of the painting with a neutral ( albeit temporary) object. Naturally, placing an opaque object in front of the painting and covering what lies behind it makes that part invisible. If the surface is hidden, it becomes invisible from the front.

A painting that has obtained a mask of neutrality might succeed in diminishing its original individuality but simultaneously transforming into something else. The provisional mask of neutrality becomes conspicuously prominent, possessing an unnatural presence.

Denying.

Blocking the gaze. Pressure.

Seeing as if detouring. An incomplete scene.

Futile, futile. Futile, resistance.