‘East Meets West’: artists Samiro Yunoki and Kori Girard unite at Ace Resort Kyoto

In proof that life does work in mysterious methods, a brand new exhibition of labor at Ace Resort Kyoto showcases an surprising dialogue between centenarian Japanese artist Samiro Yunoki and the American artist Kori Girard, the grandson of textile designer/artist Alexander Girard. Yunoki and the youthful Girard first crossed paths when each have been commissioned by the LA-based agency Commune Design (who oversaw the resort’s inside design) to create work for the resort; Yunoki designed the typeface and emblem for the resort and created all of the paintings within the resort’s visitor rooms, whereas Girard designed the tile flooring of the resort’s restaurant, Mr Maurice’s Italian, in addition to the silk screened panels throughout the area. 

‘It was in working with Commune Design on the resort’s restaurant design that I used to be extra formally launched to Yunoki-san’s work,’ remembers Girard. ‘The extra I noticed, the extra I felt an plain connection.’ 

Girard requested a gathering with Yunoki by way of a mutual good friend and ‘throughout our go to, [Yunoki] shared many tales together with one a few journey to the Girard Wing on the Museum of Worldwide People Artwork in New Mexico,’ Girard continues. ‘He defined that he was very influenced by this exhibition and that after he noticed it, he felt a better sense of chance in his personal work. I used to be very excited to make this connection because the Girard Wing of the MOIFA has additionally been an enormous and lifelong affect on my work.’

Prompted by Roman Alonso, Commune Design’s co-founder, a two-person exhibition of Yunoki and Girard was proposed for the inaugural present on the gallery area at Ace Kyoto. 

‘Yunoki-san accepted the thought and promptly mentioned he would have his works for the present achieved ASAP and that he could be working in collage,’ Girard relates. ‘Impressed by his vitality and fervour, I made a decision to create a kindred physique of labor in the identical medium. The connection of the items is present in a reverence for the ideas of “play” and “color”.’