The meaning of alternative, is taking the place, something new. It means as same as experimental. Where the NEW comes from? As a contemporary gallery, eitoeiko seeks it from classics. History of beauty is a repetition of affirmative and denial. It changes, but the ultimate beauty is always the same. Only the surface, the expression changes time after time. The new, the new beauty always comes from the past. If only the appearance of something we have not seen look interesting, we do not have to call it alternative. eitoeiko is looking for the real alternative, the beauty in the novel pieces. Jun Shirasu(b.1965) uses the method of etching on marble. The fossil in the marble is a evidence of living things in ancient earth. The pattern that the artist carved, is influenced by lost civilization, like Persian, and the animals that Mr. Shirasu drawn have mostly exterminated. But the artist exactly invents the works. The paradox, making the ancient feels strange temptation to us. Jun Shirasu is also well known as a printer and as an artist of hand-painted tile works. One of the station in Portugal, he made a huge work on the wall. Mitsumi Irahara(b.1972) expresses the time by urushi, Japanese lacquer. One of her work titled Seed of topics is made by newspaper, especially the TV program guide. The most easily consumed mass-production of information, her magic lacquer stops the movement eternally. Is it a kind of media art? Urushi is usually to use the maintenance of wooden dish plate, to keep it longer. Her discovery is that when we changed the point of view, the material shows the other meaning. And the work doesn't warn about the information society but the bud has been put out. She won Ataka Prize, 1998, Salon de Printemps Prize, 1999 and a silver prize of the Ishikawa international urushi exhibition in 2005. eitoeiko exhibits the fine paintings of Alex Ball(b.1985, UK) again in answer to popular (only from 23 to 27 December). In addition to Ukiyo-e influenced tone and composition, the size is strictly formed as like a book of art. In the art book of Hokusai, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, their works have been reduced to fit the sizes in the pages. These small masterpieces are still brilliant. But the painting of Alex Ball, the actual size looks like the reduced image. The effect tells us what is real in the world. Alex Ball won the Catlin Art Prize in 2008. Bob Scheib(b.1985, USA), his works prove the creation that arises by friction with the different culture to be a history of mankind. The body of his work is based in language and adventure. The large movement of human race is one of his research objects. Scheib is one of the emerging artist eitoeiko recommends with proud. After graduated Tyler School of Art in 2009, he lives and works in Philadelphia. Also you might find the other fine works made by the other artists at eitoeiko. Hope not to say no more alternative. eitoeiko keeps on traveling for looking for the real alternative in the world. Jun Shirasu
Born in 1965, Tokyo. lives and works in Tokyo
BA Musashino Art University, 1991
HDFA Slade School of London, 1993
Docent of Musashino Art University, 2006-08 Mitsumi Irahara
Born in 1972, Tokyo. Lives and works in Saitama
MA Tokyo University of the Arts, 1999
ocent of Tokyo University of Fine Art, 2000
Ataka Prize, 1998
Salon de Printemps Prize, 1999
Ishikawa international urushi exhibition, Silver Prize, 2005 Alex Ball
Born in 1985, Northampton, UK, Lives and works in London
BA Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London, UK, 2007
The Catlin Art Prize, Winner, 2008 Bob Scheib
Born in 1985, USA. Lives and works in Philadelphia
BA Tyler School of Art, Temple
niversity, Philadelphia, USA, 2009 * The text provided by eitoeiko.