On Dec. 9, ¡°Origination Method,¡± a three-month, large-scale show dedicated to the works of 56-year-old conceptual artist Yasuko Toyoshima opened at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. The first gallery room is bright and clean with the light grain of Toyoshima¡¯s wooden works. Smooth geometric lines create an atmosphere of humor and whimsy ¡ª and the exhibition indeed has both in abundance ¡ª but the show¡¯s wryness and neat presentation mask a profound and lifelong discomfort.
Toyoshima, based in Saitama Prefecture, has spent her career making deceptively cute, almost toy-like works that speak to the systems we attempt to force onto the human experience. This is conceptual art, so viewers may need to pay extra attention to understand Toyoshima¡¯s practice. They may also want to pick up a copy of the works list, which has helpful, straightforward descriptions by the artist in English and Japanese, as the exhibit lacks museum labels or texts. With some patience, they¡¯ll find in the nearly 400 works on display a cohesive worldview about the interaction between a life of rules and deviation.
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