BIGEI

SHUMOKU GALLERY is pleased to present an exhibition featuring the works of Gozo Yoshimasu (b. 1939).

Born in Tokyo in 1939, Gozo Yoshimasu graduated from Keio University in 1963 and published his first poetry collection Departure in 1964. Since then, he has been recognized as one of Japan’s most avant-garde poets. He is also a pioneer of poetry reading performances and has garnered international acclaim through numerous readings and appearances overseas.

Yoshimasu's creative practice is not confined to written language; his work spans a wide range of media. He has produced photographic works using panoramic cameras and multiple exposures, created sculptural pieces incorporating copper plates in collaboration with sculptor Isamu Wakabayashi, and in recent years, released video works under the name gozoCiné. His multidisciplinary approach continues to receive critical attention worldwide.

As an artist who uniquely expresses “language”—a vital element even within the visual arts—Yoshimasu has attracted strong interest across generations. In 2016, his diverse body of work encompassing poetry, photography, sculpture, and video was comprehensively showcased in the exhibition Voice Between: The Whole Body as Poem – Gozo Yoshimasu at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. In 2017, he participated in the Sapporo International Art Festival and is scheduled to tour a large-scale retrospective, including new works, beginning in November at the Ashikaga Museum of Art.

This exhibition will feature approximately 30 works, including his large-scale photographic pieces using panoramic and multiple exposure techniques, mixed-media works combining poetry and photography, and copper-plate sculptures.