Culture / Art Republik

Onitsuka Tiger’s Gallery Exhibition “FLARE” is a Celestial Spectacle of Immersive Exploration

Meta, otherworldly and surreal —FLARE presents a cohesive collection of works that explore the complexities of contemporary existence and cosmic origins.

Oct 04, 2024 | By Sanjeeva Suresh

London‘s art scene continues to be a haven of international creativity. LUXUO previously reported on Graceland London debut and London’s Halcyon Gallery and now we turn east to Onitsuka Tiger. Onitsuka Tiger‘s art gallery extension Tiger Gallery is set to unveil FLARE — a group exhibition of works by three artists, Kengo Kito, Daisuke Ohba, and Kohei Nawa. Interestingly enough, both exhibitions (Graceland London and FLARE) depict an artistic insight into other-worldly dimensions and commercialism (perhaps a trend amongst today’s artists?).

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While FLARE does not directly address the existential question of the meaning of life or the universe, it focuses on the metaphysical iteration of these ideas with various phases of circular forms and amorphous energies that exude from the orb-like structures — both literally and metaphorically. The exhibition’s themes play on the universe’s origins, inviting visitors to explore celestial bodies, mass-produced items, and polarised colours. Attendees will also encounter self-referential and infinitely repeating illusions, swirling traces of drawings, clusters of dots, and even their own reflections as they engage with these elements. Running from 10 October to 8 November 2024, the exhibition highlights 27 artworks including the renowned PixCell series by Kohei Nawa which features Onitsuka Tiger sneakers that were specially created for the exhibition.

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Onitsuka Tiger’s Art Gallery Project Tiger Gallery, FLARE
Kohei Nawa, PixCell-Shoe #13, 2024. Photography: Nobutada OMOTE Kohei Nawa

Tapping into the universe’s origins, FLARE presents works of a cohesive vision that explore the contingencies of contemporary existence through paintings, sculptures, and installations that reflect dynamic interplays of space, time, and light, catapulting viewers into a new dimension charged with both paradox and possibility. Perhaps serendipitously, the conceptualisation of the exhibition emerged during a historical solar flare that produced spectacular auras observed around the globe. FLARE was thus born as an homage to the celestial spectacle as well as the artists’ interconnected creative journeys.

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Left: Kengo Kito, buoyancy of color #9 (detail) Kengo Kito
Middle: Kohei Nawa, PixCell-Shoe #13 (L), 2024 (detail). Photography: Nobutada OMOTE Kohei Nawa Right: Daisuke Ohba, M, 2024 (detail). Photography: Nobutada OMOTE Daisuke Ohba

Kengo Kito’s celebrated “Hula Hoop” installations and paintings transform circles into infinitely connected lines, which in turn evolve into larger intersecting circles — a powerful metaphor for interconnectedness.

Daisuke Ohba’s mesmerising paintings are “bathed in light” and radiate colours that diffuse in all directions, creating a pictorial field that establishes a new dimension where time and space intersect. “They fuse together to become a mosaic, which encompasses the spectrum of cultures of humanity,” remarks Ohba. Within this liminal mosaic of existence, viewers witness the fleeting ephemerality of an uncertain world.

Kohei Nawa encapsulates the exhibition’s vast breadth and depth through works that span from two-dimensional to three-dimensional creations. “The Moment” and “Red Code” pieces materialise the omnipresent digital signals and noise within the realms of information and the universe. Anchoring the exhibition are Nawa’s signature “PixCell”, “Prism”, and “Trans series”, which incorporate Onitsuka Tiger sneakers. “Shoes, which relate to the verticality of the figure, ground the body to the earth and connect human beings with the city, signify the starting point of actions and movements,” reads the press notes.

FLARE — a group exhibition by Kengo Kito, Daisuke Ohba, and Kohei Nawa, will be held at the gallery space of the Onitsuka Tiger flagship store on Regent Street in London, from 10 October to 8 November, 2024.

Click here for more information on the exhibition.

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