Kahori Kamiya’s expansive intimacy

Kahori Kamiya’s New York debut solo exhibition “Long Eclipse” at Amos Eno Gallery in Brooklyn is a powerful and personal exploration of her Japanese cultural identity and experience of womanhood. Through her works, Kamiya delves into her own existential and spiritual contemplations, reflecting on acutely personal experiences such as breastfeeding her baby, facing racial discrimination during the pandemic, and grieving the loss of her mentor. 

Blooming Flow, one of the standout works in the show, exemplifies Kamiya’s ability to bring together elements of both intimacy and grandeur in a single work of art. The majestic Venus figure embodies the nurturing qualities of motherhood and the larger cycle of life, making the piece both a reflection of Kamiya’s own experiences and a universal meditation on the nature of life and existence.

Gracefully traversing the boundary between painting and sculpture, Kamiya makes both distinctly sculptural painting and meticulously painted sculpture. Her intensive process is at once searching and exacting, like that of a space probe discovering and documenting new creatures or other vital characteristics of the cosmos. She features semi-figurative drawing and mysterious symbols in her work, and incorporates into it a diverse range of materials such as feathers, gold metals, and crystals. Kamiya’s purposefully eclectic approach enables her to conjure dynamic, intricate forms that catch viewers’ eyes, compel them to take a longer look, and, beyond that, encourage them to think deeper about what they have seen. 

About the artist: Kahori Kamiya was born in Nagoya, Japan, and moved to New York, where she received her second MFA in Fine Art from the School of Visual Arts. She is a recipient of the Award from the Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art, Puffin Foundation Grant, and ISCP residency that will start this April. Recently her works have been featured by Art Spiel, WMHT Public Media TV, and Transborder Art. Kamiya’s works are exhibited globally in Japan, Germany, England, Spain, Poland, Russia, Estonia, Australia, Canada, and the United States and collected in Japan, the US, and Israel.

“Kahori Kamiya: Long Eclipse,” Amos Enos Gallery, 56 Bogart Street, Brooklyn, NY. Through March 26, 2023. Reserve a spot for “Self Healing,” a Reiki Performance, on Sunday, March 19, 3pm – 4pm here.