venue: Pola Museum Annex
dates: April 25 – June 8, 2025
works: Ocean and Signs #01-#16 / Casting (Ocean) / GENGA #1001-1100 (video)
photo: Ooki Jingu
Hiraku Suzuki’s practice expands the concept of drawing by exploring lines that are latent in space and time. He archives fragments of lines from ancient cave murals and street markings around the world, as well as lines of non-human origin found in plants, minerals, and trails of light, reconstructing them through physical engagement to generate a unique system that could be described as an “ecology of drawing.”
Central to this exhibition is Ocean and Signs (2025), a series of works drawn in silver on a meditative blue background, reminiscent of the deep ocean and outer space. Arranged in a circular formation, 16 large canvases pulse with constellations of signs evoking luminescent plankton floating in water, cellular division, or supernovae. Light-reflective ink scatters across the surface in droplets and particles, oscillating between a microscopic marine realm and cosmic expanse, weaving a visual narrative that contemplates the perpetual cycle of creation and destruction. Also featured is Casting (Ocean) (2025), in which photographs of archaeological artifacts, overlaid with silver spray, conjure fictional memories, alongside a new video installation.
The ocean, as the cradle of life, is intimately connected to our contemporary lives, yet it is fraught with constant tensions from marine pollution and floods. Networks of signs of light, formed by the interplay of countless dots and lines swaying among the waves, resonate with the ubiquitous signs of everyday urban life, evoking questions about the origins of the civilizations we fabricate.