Feb gallery Tokyo is pleased to present a two-man exhibition. “Seiji Nagai & Izima Kaoru”.
For the past few years, a craftsman, Seiji Nagai has been creating one-of-a-kind handmade items by wrapping his favorite forms (junk, photographs, etc) in FRP (fiberglass). On the other hand, Izima Kaoru has been pursuing the idea of “photography”, paying much attention to the possibility of its evolution and expansion. His recent work experiments with digital portraits such as screenshots and heavily processed images.
“I asked Seiji to make frames for my photo exhibition. I gave him a few prints, and what he ended up with was “Seiji's work of art" using my photographs.”
(Izima Kaoru)
The exhibition focuses on Nagai’s FRP series using Izima’s photography work as materials, and Izima’s new photography series using Nagai’s artwork as the source of image.

artist biography 

永井誠治
Seiji Nagai

60年代は関西、70年代はアメリカ、80−90年代は東京でアパレル業、それ以降は空洞。
Based in Kansai in the 60's, spent the 70's in the US, and ran an apparel business in Tokyo during the 80's and 90's. It's been hollow since.

伊島薫
Izima Kaoru

1980年代から主に音楽やファッションの分野でカメラマンとして活動。2000年頃からドイツを皮切りにヨーロッパ各地やアメリカを中心に、『死体のある風景』（Landscapes with a corpus）シリーズの個展を展開。現在は『スクリーンショット』シリーズを通じて「写真とはなにか」を問い続けている。
Since the 1980s, he has been active as a photographer mainly in the fields of music and fashion. Around 2000, he began holding solo exhibitions of his "Landscapes with a Corpse" series, starting in Germany and continuing throughout Europe and the United States. Currently, through his "Screenshot" series, he pursues the question, "What is photography?”

artist comments 

　2人共あの時点では具体的なアイデアもなかったんだけど、たまたま俺が外に出れないコロナの最低な2020年からFRPという素材で物作りしていて、その流れで今回はFRP(fiberglass）の中に閉じ込めるものが中心になってます。納得の景色になるまで塗って凝固させての繰り返しで、ちょっと陶芸のように窯から出て来るまで景色が見えないのと似ていて、デジカメ以外はアナログ作業でおもろい作業でした。自分の物作りは自分なりの民芸だと思ってやってます。宜しく。 

　At that time, neither of us had any concrete ideas, but it just so happened that I had been making things with FRP (fiberglass) since 2020 as covid situation hit at its worst that we couldn't go out. In that vein, this exhibition is centered on the series of works encapsulated in FRP. I repeat applying and solidifying until I reach one satisfying view. Just like pottery making, I have no clue of how it will turn out until it comes out of the kiln. I enjoyed the FRP process. It was mostly analog except for the use of a digital camera. I consider what I'm doing as my own folk art making.
Regards.

ナガイセイジ
Seiji Nagai

　去年の春、セイジさんに展覧会用のフレームを作ってもらいたいとお願いして試しにプリントを何枚か渡したところ、出来上がって来たのは僕の写真を使ったセイジさんの「作品」だった。結局その展覧会には普通のフレームを使うことにしたのだが、僕がセイジさんの作った「作品」（セイジさんは作品とは呼ばない）がとても良いと言うと「だったらなんか一緒にやろうよ」とセイジさんも言ってくれたのがこの展覧会のキッカケである。 セイジさんは昔からアメリカやメキシコで手に入れた雑多なもの達（土産物や廃物、それに自分で撮影した写真などなど）を使ってDEPTのディスプレイを自作していて、それがとても個性的でカッコ良いのであった。 そしてDEPTをやめた後もその性癖（創作意欲）は収まらず、現在に至るまでずっと毎日のようになにかしら作り続けているのである。 今回はそんなセイジさんが僕の写真を使って制作した作品と、セイジさんの過去作品の画像を僕が加工した作品というクロスオーバー的な展示を中心に、セイジさんのオリジナル作品も紹介する。 

　Last spring, I asked Seiji to make frames for my photo exhibition. I gave him a few prints, and what he ended up with was “Seiji's work of art" using my photographs.
In the end, I decided to use regular frames for that exhibition. When I told Seiji that his "artwork" (he does not call it "artwork") was fascinating, he said, "Then, let's do something together." That was the beginning of our session.
Seiji had been making his own displays for his store, DEPT, using miscellaneous items he had acquired in the U.S. and Mexico (souvenirs, scraps, photos taken in local places, etc.) . It was extremely unique and very cool.
And even after he quit DEPT, his habit (creative urge) did not stop until today. He makes something everyday.
In this exhibition, there will be works created by Seiji using my photographs, as well as works that I have modified from images of Seiji's past works. In addition to this crossover exhibition, we will also be presenting his individual works.

イジマカオル
Izima Kaoru