NANZUKA is pleased to present ABACO, a solo exhibition by Tokyo-based artist Haroshi at NANZUKA UNDERGROUND. This marks the artist’s third solo exhibition at the gallery following GUZO (2017) and I versus I(2021) and features a selection of new works.
Since 2003, Haroshi has engaged in creating artworks through a unique and self-taught method of utilizing parts from old skateboard decks. He continues to receive much acclaim and recognition as an artist who symbolizes the current street scene through various activities including his collaborations with the street brand HUF and the production of the trophies for BATB, one of the world’s leading skateboarding competitions. His recent solo exhibitions include a showcasing at Art Basel Miami Beach (Nova, NANZUKA) in 2018 and Dive into the Pit at Jeffrey Deitch New York in 2022. He has also participated in numerous international group exhibitions such as Tokyo Pop Underground, which toured the galleries of Jeffery Deitch in New York and Los Angeles from 2019 to 2020, and City As Studio (K11 MUSEA, Hong Kong) in 2023.
Over the course of his artistic practice, Haroshi has produced a number of unique body of work such as the GUZO series, a collection of sculptures that embodies a deep respect and appreciation for well-used skateboards; a series of soft vinyl works that express a love for objects by repairing and remodeling old plastic vinyl action figures and breathing new life into them; and Mosh Pit, mosaic two-dimensional works made by chopping up used skateboard decks and rearranging them so as to convey the personal history of each skateboarder and skateboard culture as a whole in a cohesive manner.
Meanwhile, this exhibition ABACO, features new sculptures inspired by Kokeshi dolls and abacus beads that are no longer needed by people and are traded cheaply on the second-hand market, the complete works of which are presented together in the form of an installation. Haroshi’s focus on materials whose value are becoming obsolete in our contemporary age stems from his long-standing interest in indigenous Japanese culture, which he has been exploring for many years from his own distinct perspective. One example of this is the relationship between the GUZO series and Dosojin (Shinto deities that reside in stone carvings such as Jizo statues commonly found along roads in Japan, dedicated to the protection of travelers), which were born from the Japanese aesthetic sense of seeking to find the presence of god in all things. As this reflects, respect and love for abandoned things is also an important context in Haroshi’s work, and it is thus natural that he chose Kokeshi dolls and abacuses as motifs for his latest body of work. "
The concept behind Haroshi’s work is salvation. It is about saving things that have been discarded and forgotten, such as used skateboards and soft vinyl toys, and creating new forms of evolution. When we started this activity in 2003, our original concept was to make it a global initiative—increase the number of people who recycle skateboards to make new things and eliminate the number of skateboards that end up being thrown away. Nowadays, there are many people all over the world who are making things from skateboards without even knowing about us and what we do.
That was when I encountered Kokeshi dolls. Kokeshi dolls were a childhood companion until the advent of soft vinyl and other petroleum-based toys. However, they have been replaced by Barbie dolls and soft vinyl toys, and they are now regarded as crafts that are only collected by a few enthusiasts. Among them, old, sun-bleached Kokeshi dolls have nowhere to go, and are sold at bargain prices at recycle stores and antique markets.
When I came across damaged Kokeshi dolls being sold off cheaply, I was reminded of Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, who had been discarded after his owner had grown tired of him. At that moment, I wondered if there was something I could do for these dolls. While carving old Kokeshi dolls, I had the opportunity to learn about 3D printers. I found it interesting how my work was the polar opposite of cutting-edge technologies like 3D printers, so I thought why not try to express the act of a computer performing calculations in an analogue way. I therefore started collecting old, unused abacuses. Abacuses don’t undergo technological updates like computers do. However, the beads of a well-used abacus, which have turned amber over time, are engraved with the memory of countless calculations that have been performed on it. The Kokeshi dolls, adored with abacus beads, symbolize the history of us humans, who seek to understand and create all things through calculation.
For some reason, I’ve had more opportunities to travel around Japan in recent years, and I’ve had many experiences that have allowed me to revisit Japanese culture. As someone who has always been fascinated by American culture, I’ve been able to come face to face with the Japanese aspects that inherently existed within myself. Perhaps it was because of this experience that I ended up working only with purely domestic materials this time.
Just as there is no end to the universe, there is also infinite depth within our bodies. We merely define the boundaries of the finite and infinite based on the limits of our understanding, and in reality, there may be nothing of the sort outside or inside of us." ーHaroshi
