*Thank you all for visiting. This exhibition has now finished. Please see the bottom of the page for details of the exhibition.
Erin O'Keefe
GO BETWEEN
Sanjiroan -Tokonoma Exhibition-
The first exhibition in Japan by Sergio Valenzuela-Escobedo, born from his collaboration with CYRO, will take place in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Valenzuela-Escobedo is an artist and researcher who has built a multi-faceted career in curation and editing internationally. Since 2016, he has showcased his curatorial expertise through notable exhibitions, including Mapuche at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, Monsanto: a photographic investigation and Forets Geometriques both at Les Rencontres d'Arles; and in 2023, at Fotofestiwal, he unveiled the trilogy Mama Coca, Ipáamamu - Stories of Wawaim, and Oro Verde. With a wealth of experience in both exhibition projects and curatorial practices, he is deeply committed to the presentation and dissemination of art in both physical and editorial contexts. Valenzuela-Escobedo's first exhibition in Japan builds upon his ongoing research in the context of the French Bicentennial of the invention of Photography, exploring the introduction of the camera to Japan while interrogating the colonial narratives of early photographic representations and tracing the genealogy of the camera itself.Discover the Valenzuela-Escobedo exhibition in a traditional Japanese garden that has been handed down for 100 years, and in a Japanese house overlooking it.
The simplicity and purity of the tea room arose from the rivalry between Zen temples. Zen temples, unlike those of other sects, were built solely as residences for monks. Their halls were not places of worship or pilgrimage but training grounds where Zen practitioners met for discussion and meditation. The room was unadorned except for a statue of Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, or of Shakyamuni accompanied by his patriarchs Kashyapa and Ananda, located behind a central wall slab. Incense and flowers were offered to the altar in commemoration of these sages' contributions to Zen. We have already noted that the foundation of the tea ceremony was none other than the ritual, initiated by Zen monks, of drinking tea from the same bowl in front of a statue of Bodhidharma. It may be added here that the altars of Zen temples were the prototypes of the tokonoma, the seat of honor in a Japanese room where paintings and flowers are placed for the edification of guests. Excerpt from "The Book of Tea - Okakura Tenshin"
Dates: 21 February - 25 February 2025
Open: 10:00–18:00
Place: Sanjiroan
Address: 51 Yawatamachi, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
This is the space where O'Keeffe's works come to life. We look forward to welcoming you to Sanjiroan, a place where life and beauty, contemplation and sensibility intersect.
Erin O'Keefe
Artist Profile
Erin O'Keefe is a New York-based photographer. Her background in architecture led to her interest in creating works that explore spatial perception.
O'Keefe's work is full of colourful geometric shapes and visual play created by the precise manipulation of light and shadow. The painted wooden forms she photographs are reconfigured through the camera into an uncertain, abstract world where spatial depth and scale are ambiguous. The distortions and visual misunderstandings that occur when the camera transforms three-dimensional forms into two-dimensional images - this inevitable misalignment becomes the central challenge of her work. By combining an architectural perspective with the characteristics of photography, O'Keefe questions the limits of perception and creates a unique visual experience that shakes the viewer's perception.
She has published two art books, ‘Built Work’ (Jane & Jeremy, 2020) and ‘How are Things?’ (Distanz, 2023). She has had recent exhibitions of her work at Seventeen Gallery in London, Sargent’s Daughters Gallery in New York, and Ncontemporary Gallery in Milan.
Archive 08 May - 23 May 2025
During the event, on May 21st, Miuru, a staff member at Moritaka Wine and Local Sake, where Sanjiro-an is located, and an artist active under the name IKIRU, and Rumiko of Kutani ware Kinzan Kiln kindly arranged an experiential project. Inspired by Erin O'Keeffe's work in the alcove, participants threaded their own thoughts into the fabric with a needle. The traces left by their hand movements were illuminated by the light of the garden, which reflected the fresh greenery of Sanjiro-an, and each strand of thread shone brightly. Thank you for participating.