Sculptor Kenichi Asano's new exhibition, "Monstrum," will be held at hpgrp Gallery Tokyo in Aoyama, Tokyo, from January 15 to February 14, 2016.

Asano is a sculptor who has studied the restoration of mechanical dolls and Buddhist statues, and who develops a unique worldview based on traditional Japanese woodcarving techniques. His work centers on the themes of transforming into new incarnations distinct from one's previous self through media such as transformation, possession, puppetry, and cosplay, and thereby gaining power.

The title of this exhibition, "Monstrum," is said to be the etymology of the word "monster," meaning "an event or thing whose true nature is unknown but whose presence is felt." It can also be interpreted as "the appearance of strange events or creatures is a warning from the gods." In this exhibition, Asano expresses "warnings from the invisible" through masks, helmets, wind gods and thunder gods, and Hina dolls.

【Event Information】
"monstrum"
Venue: hpgrp GALLERY TOKYO
Address: Ohara School Hall B1F, 5-7-17 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Dates: January 15th - February 14th, 2016
Time: 12:00-20:00 (Reception from 19:00-21:00 on January 15th)
Closed: Mondays and Sundays