EVENT DESCRIPTION
From June 6 to August 29, 2026, WKM Gallery is delighted to present Japanese artist Iori Nagashima’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, BETWEEN. Known for his soft, subdued oil paintings of everyday objects and daily routines, the exhibition will showcase the evolution of Nagashima’s paintings following his extended residency at SIDE SPACE. The series of new works revolves around motifs and subjects he encountered in the city and local community, reflecting his immersion into the complex layers of Hong Kong.
Nagashima’s still lives and figure paintings are defined by absence as much as presence. In his canvases, shadows and shades of grey are sources of energy: evidence of a waxing ray of sunlight crawling from one side of the room to the other, the scent of a quiet summer noon drifting in through an open window, the lingering warmth of a body recently departed. Items well-loved or well-used often serve as subject matter (clothes and shoes left strewn about, an alarm clock on standby), but within this exhibition, we find subtle hints that the artist is no longer in Tokyo.
Created during a period of displacement and observation, the works reflect on how relationships become newly visible when one’s environment changes. In an increasingly globalized and homogenized world, Nagashima’s works suggest that the distinctions between our realities are often found in the invisible strata that shape the foundation of daily life: atmosphere, memory, perception, and space. The word “between” denotes an intermediary space or pause, as well as the existence of two or more points held in relation. The exhibition approaches this space as a site of observation and connection where we may question our deeper values regarding continuity, care, and truth. Through quiet scenes and layered surfaces, BETWEEN asks how we perceive one another within the complexity of contemporary urban life.
ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER
Iori Nagashima was born in 1997 in Osaka, Japan. He lives and works in Tokyo, Japan. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Oil Painting from Musashino Art University in Tokyo, Japan, in 2020.Nagashima body of work explores the themes of unconscious beauty hidden within everyday life and the search for individual identity in contemporary society. His practice seeks to capture fleeting moments of stillness glimpsed amidst the hustle and bustle of the city and the activities of people, meticulously recording the emotions and memories residing in those moments onto the canvas, allowing viewers to perceive their resonance and experience their presence.
The exploration of materials and techniques is a crucial element in Nagashima creative process. Adhere to the traditional oil painting techniques, he utilises visual expressions and elements of video and photography. By traversing between the ordinary and the extraordinary, the present and the past, he endeavours to powerfully express the place and time in which individuals stand. Extracting narratives inherent in fragments of daily life and familiar scenery, he subsequently reconstructs them as paintings.
Nagashima reconstructs images on canvas from photographs, videos, and his own visual information, using motifs such as urban landscapes, everyday objects, and friends. Also, referencing classical Western painting techniques, he aspires to craft an artistic expression that appears to oscillate between different layers of time and space.
Ultimately, the artist intends for his work to serves as a catalyst, provoking a profound reflection on our own place, existence, and the stories of both the artist and viewer.
