Onishi Gallery is proud to announce an upcoming exhibition of the work of Tetsuro Sato’s “HENGAO” in the lobby of the Four Seasons Restaurant in NYC.
Please note that this special exhibition will not be held at our gallery, but at the Four Seasons Restaurant on 52nd Street:
VENUE DETAILS
Four Seasons Restaurant
99 E 52nd Street NYC
Map: Between Park and Lexington Avenues
Web: www.fourseasonsrestaurant.com
HENGAO, the Japanese word translates to “funny face” in English. Inspired by the Japanese phenomena purikura (where young girls take pocket sized photos of themselves), Sato himself takes the place of the photo booth. The artist does not edit or distort the film, but lets abstractions occur through props and body language.
Sato’s work explores with a sense of humor the traditional power structure between viewer and subject by having the models’ gaze mediated through glass. In front of a black background, limbs, eyes, and faces reflect, refract and transcend traditional photo-portraiture. The traditional sense of beauty cannot be applied to Sato’s distorted vision. Instead, we find ourselves questioning the concept of traditional beauty and begin to seek further, perhaps encountering a deeper impression.
This exhibition, on the Four Seasons Restaurant’s ground floor, exploits and dramatically highlights the photographs in a traditional modern setting as a prelude to the world famous dining rooms on the second floor.