Introduction:
Works by Hans Josephsohn all have the motifs of human bodies. Some of them are abstract, and only allude the body parts indistinctly. Created with plaster, they are then cast in brass. These sculptures, reminding us the ancient sculptures, embrace organic simplicity and are serene and contemplative. On the surface, however, marked variety of senses and rhythms, suggesting what Udo Kittelmann calls "something quite essential, something alive over and beyond its status as an object" (from a text contributed to "Kesselhaus Josephsohn" ). It may be because his artistic production starts with the inspiration from human life, especially that of ones who are close to him, proceeds in the language of sculpture itself, and completes with the ideas finding their own expressions in the forms and the sculpture gains the life. His oeuvre is lively without having close description of human, as well as timeless and constant.

Since 1960's, various attempts in dissolution of the coherence of genre have been made in sculpture. Josephsohn, who was born in 1920, has been devoted to work with his own imagination in his studio in Zurich. Growing out from the independence and artistic freedom, the works were little known outside Switzerland until 1990's. Since then, his oeuvre has increasingly been recognized, and mentioned by "Art in America" in 2007, "Josephsohn, at age 87, has recently been making some of the strongest work of his career and may well prove to be most important figurative sculptor". He still keeps creating works of human bodies, in which, as he stated, "everything is expressed".

Concept:
This exhibition provides a first overview of Josephsohn's oeuvre in Japan, featuring the works from 1956-58 to 2006. A series of female busts, "semi-figures", embraces tender image and constitutes the expression of the artist's insight into the fragility of human existence. Female figures reclining on their sides have been created for a long time with a break in the 70's for 20 years. Josephsohn states that he still discovers new aspect each time. The category of relief has been produced throughout the career, and represents scenes and interpersonal constellations. Including above works and other figures, this exhibition presents approximately 15 works. A documentary film, "Josephsohn Bildhauer"（directed by Matthias Käin and Laurin Merz, with English subtitle）will also be on view inside the gallery space.

Artist Biography:
Hans Josephsohn was born in 1920 in Köigsberg (Kaliningrad), then in East Prussia. He moved to Florence in 1937 to study sculpture, then emigrated to Switzerland in the wake of fascist laws, and became a student of Otto Müler. He has lived and worked in Zurich since then.

Josephsohn's works are exhibited at two permanent installations open to the public: Kesselhaus Josephsohn, an exhibition space and foundry outside St. Gallen, Switzerland; and La Congiunta in the Southern Swiss Alps designed by the architect Peter Mäkli, to whom the artist has been a longstanding influence. His major exhibitions include retrospectives at The Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, 2002) and Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art (Germany, 2008). His major gallery exhibitions have been held at Hauser & Wirth (London, Zurich). The major group exhibitions include "The Third Mind" at Palais de Tokyo (Paris, 2007-08). In 2003, he was awarded with the Art Award of the City of Zurich. This is the first solo exhibition in Japan.

＊Biography / CV　 Hauser & Wirth: http://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/41/josephsohn/biography/）

* The text provided by Tomio Koyama Gallery.

Period: April 23 - June 4, 2011
Venue: Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo 7F