okyo Gallery + BTAP is pleased to present “Gallery’s Collection Exhibition : Mono-ha”, an exhibition showcasing artworks by 5 artists – Koji Enokura, Susumu Koshimizu, Kishio Suga, Nobuo Sekine and Katsuhiko Narita.

Mono-ha is the name of an art movement that emerged in Japan during the late 1960s and early 70s. It was based on the principle of making as few alterations as possible to its chosen materials – natural objects such as rocks and timber, paper, cotton, and industrial materials such as iron sheets and paraffin – in order to produce a phenomenological encounter between the viewer and the artwork. By weaving the space of the installation and the gaze of the viewer into their works, Mono-ha artists emphasized the relationship that emerged between these new elements, prompting a reconsideration of the status and existence of “things” (mono) and the cultivation of a universal sensibility. The production of Nobuo Sekine's "Phase – Mother Earth" in 1968 and Lee Ufan’s critical writing on that work launched the movement in full motion. Heeding the advice of Yoshishige Saito, Tokyo Gallery+BTAP held solo exhibition of these Mono-ha artists from 1969.

Artworks in this exhibition range from drawing pieces produced in 1960s to the sculpture works produced in the past decade. Please take this opportunity to enjoy the collection of work by Mono-ha artists.