Rina Kawai is GlogauAIR resident
from January, 2025 to March, 2025
Rina Kawai, a Japanese artist from Aichi, currently based in Berlin, explores the connection between mind and body through Japanese Zen philosophy (禅). Her work spans painting and dance performances, examining the divide between mental and physical experiences in a fast-changing society. She engages audiences through dynamic and static elements, often using transparent paper and color to challenge perceptions of visibility and the subconscious.
Meet the Artist
Statement
Rina Kawai is a Japanese artist born in Aichi, Japan. Currently based in Berlin, Germany. She explores the inner reality that interplay “non-visual realm,” focusing on the “structure of the mind and body” through the philosophical thought of Japanese Zen (禅). Her work reveals how our rapidly changing society is linked to the divide between mental and physical experiences. Her creative media are painting, dance performs that invite audiences to engage in dynamically and statically. In her proposal, the subconscious plays an important role. For example, she uses different colors on transparent paper to create shadows randomly and the audience observes the perception of what is visualizing or not visualizing.
GlogauAIR Project
This GlogauAIR project in Berlin, Germany, is my first overseas endeavor. This project, in my opinion, is from my earlier action work.
I recently completed an experimental action drawing project for 2022–2023 using 1,000 sheets of handmade Nepalese paper. That is comparable to a Zen practice philosophy that focuses on drawing for two years. After completing a thousand pieces, I became aware of how human physical and mental capacities interact based on my personal experience. I will attempt to connect round shapes that are dynamic and static from the body experience, as well as the spaces between lines and shapes, with colors that are still being developed.
CV Summary
Education
- 2014-2018 Bachelor of Fine Art from Nagoya University of Arts, Japan
- 2014 “Penland craft school” summer program, US
Exhibition
- 2024 Group show, Nagoya University Of Arts, Nagoya Japan
- 2024 Art fair Nagoya, Nagoya Japan
- 2024 solo exhibition,Gallery heptagon, Kyoto Japan
- 2023 “idéal classe” solo exhibition, Nagoya Japan “ART NAGOYA 2023”Art fair, Nagoya Japan
- 2023 “Gazing at the star” group exhibition, Gallery Heptagon, Kyoto Japan
- 2022 “certainly existing now”solo exhibition Gallery hu:, Nagoya Japan
Performance & work
- 2024 “What you see? あなたは何を知覚する?” improvisation performing art event,Nagoya Japan
- 2023 “YKO ハポンdeダンス” performance vol,43 YKO dance project, Nagoya Japan
- 2023 “creation work WS”by Norihito Ishii Sankaijyuku (山海塾)Studio Soko,Gifu Japan
- 2022 “Improvisation work WS”by Mushimaru Fujieda Butoh dance(舞踏) Enishi Ehn, Osaka Japan
Award
- 2018 Collector’ s Award in Nagoya university of Arts, Japan
Gallery
