Exhibition: Small Voyage by Ayane Kurai

CRS presents Small Voyage, an exhibition of oil paintings by Ayane Kurai. The exhibition will open Thursday, September 6, 2018 and will remain on view through October 20, 2018. An Opening Reception with the artist will be held on Thursday, September 13, 2018 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Pictured above:  Women March 2018 copyright © 2018 by Ayane Kurai.

Though the works in this exhibition are large for CRS, they are nevertheless among the smallest works created by Kurai. Thickly layered and heavily textured, these expressionistic oil paintings vary in subject matter and degree of abstraction. What holds constant and what distinguishes Kurai’s works is their intensity of color and texture and the immediacy of their evocation of the colors and textures of a life fully experienced.

This is the second solo show by Kurai at CRS. The first, “Yuko’s Spring Has Come” in 2010, mostly featured works created around the time of the birth and early childhood of her two children, and celebrated the life of her friend the artist Yuko Sueta, who had recently passed away. As Kurai’s children have gotten older, she has become increasingly active again and has been steadily exhibiting new works in many shows.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ayane Kurai was born in 1969 in Hyogo, Japan. In 1988 she entered the department of paintings, College of Art and Design, Musashino Art University in Tokyo. She has been living and working in New York City since 1990. She received The Joan MItchel Foundation Grand Award in 1999 and had many solo and group shows in Japan, the U.S.A. and Brazil.
http://ayanekurai.com/

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am a human first
I happen to be a painter and japanese born
To display life,
and to develop a Big heart
are the most important techniques and goals for me.
I believe
that my paintings follow me and grow
with me
…just because
painting is the voice of my soul.

RECENT EXHIBITIONS

2018 Musashino Consortium 2018, Gallery Onetwentyeight, New York, NY

2017 Pink Ribbon Project, Tree Haus Mima, New York, NY

2017 SJAC NY, Gallery Max  New York, New York, NY

2016 Musabi Ten, Gallery Max New York, New York, NY

2015 Musabi Ten, Gallery MC, New York, NY

2014 Purple Yam Restaurant – Stirring The Madd Brick, Brooklyn, NY

2012 La Mama International, New York

2012 GO Brooklyn, A Community curated open studio project, Brooklyn, NY

2012 Musabi Ten, Musashino Art University Alumni Association, RESOBOX, LIC, NY

2006 – 2017 Bushwick Open Studios, Brooklyn, NY

2010 CRS Gallery, New York

2006 Gallery IDF, Nagoya

2005 Tsubaki Modern Gallery, Shinjuku, Tokyo

2003 Museo de Arte Moderna, “Ayane Kurai and Garance Show”, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

2002 Gallery IDF, Nagoya

2002 Tsubaki Modern Gallery, Shinjuku, Tokyo

1996 Tsubaki Modern Gallery, Shinjuku, Tokyo

1995 SKYDOOR Gallery, Aoyama, Tokyo

1993 Laporte Hall, “Ayane Kurai: Contemporary Paintings at Laporte 7th Anniversary Music and Art Festival””, Ashiya City, Hyogo

1993 Tsubaki Modern Gallery, Shinjuku, Tokyo

1991 Soho Art House, “Rod Norman and Ayane Kurai” Joint Show, New York City

plus other group shows