Knuckleball: 노지마료타 마키킴 이윤서
The group exhibition 《Knuckleball》 brings together Ryota Nojima, Maki Kim, and Lee Yunseo, in collaboration with Hagiwara Projects in Tokyo, introducing two Japanese artists and one Korean artist.
The title “Knuckleball” refers to a type of baseball pitch with minimal spin. Its unpredictable movement, caused by turbulence around the ball, makes it difficult for batters to hit. Though slower than other pitches, its irregular motion requires careful attention. Similarly, these three artists do not approach us with speed or sudden tricks. Like the rhythmic brushstrokes in their paintings, they move with a relaxed, almost dance-like pace.
Ryota Nojima and Maki Kim capture everyday objects and events, wandering between the concrete and the ambiguous in their forms. Lee Yunseo paints the fleeting images she sees on digital screens with rhythmic brushstrokes. All three focus on things and events around them. Their paintings reconstruct our shared reality in a sensory way, and just like a knuckleball, they may catch us off guard.
NojimaRyota 野島良太
Born in 1987, Nojima graduated from Musashino Art University and lives and works in Tokyo. He has held two solo exhibitions at Hagiwara Projects (2016, 2022) and solo exhibitions at Tokyo Wonder Site Shibuya (2015) and Fujimidai Tunnel (2021). His work has also been included in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Namisagashitekkara (Kyoto), Fondazione Querini Stampalia (Venice), Devening Projects (Chicago), and SET Project Space Lewisham (London).
MakiKIM キンマキ
Maki Kim paints ordinary things from everyday life: Post it notes, sneakers, chats with friends, or family notes found at home. The artist encourages viewers to experience a sense of strangeness created by repeating the same motifs in different sizes and techniques.
Born in 1995, Maki Kim graduated from Musashino Art University and currently lives and works in Tokyo. She has held solo exhibitions at HEARTY (2020, Takasaki, Japan) and Open Letter (2022, Tokyo, Japan). Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at Musashino Art Museum & Library (Tokyo), Art Center Ongoing (Tokyo), and The National Museum of Art, Okutama (Tokyo), among others.
Lee Yunseo draws her painting subjects from the vast flow of information on the internet. Her work highlights the failure rather than the success of image reproduction. The blurred forms created by rapid brushstrokes reflect the limitations of painting itself in keeping up with the overwhelming speed and volume of information today.
Lee graduated with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Fine Arts from Korea National University of Arts. She has held solo exhibitions at Artist-Run Space Byeolgwan (2019, Seoul), 175 Gallery (2016, Seoul), and Gana Art Space (2015, Seoul). Her work has also been included in group exhibitions at ARKO Art Center, Doosan Gallery, 2/W, and Open Space Bae.
