Yutaka Sone

Opening on March 21, 2007, David Zwirner is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by Los Angeles-based artist Yutaka Sone. Sone was the subject of the seminal exhibition Yutaka Sone: Jungle Island at the MOCA, Los Angeles, CA (2003). In 2002, he had a solo show entitled Travel to Double River Island at the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Toyota City, Japan. In addition, Sone has participated in several major biennials, including the Whitney Biennial, New York, NY (2004), The 25th Biennal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (2002), 13th Biennale of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (2002), the Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey (2001), and Yokohama 2001: International Triennale of Contemporary Art, Yokohama, Japan (2001). In 2003, he represented his native Japan in La Bienale di Venezia, Venice, Italy. In September, 2006, Sone's sculpture It Seems Like Snow Leopard Island inaugurated David Zwirner's new space at 519 West 19th Street. The sculpture was previously featured in Sone's solo exhibition at the Kunsthalle Bern in Bern, Switzerland–the largest European presentation of the artist's work to date and the third in a trilogy of exhibitions including Yutaka Sone: X-Art Show at the Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, CO and Yutaka Sone Forecast: Snow at The Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (all 2006). This exhibition will be Sone's third solo show at the gallery.

Yutaka Sone's work encompasses painting, drawing, performance, sculpture, and video. From tiny crystal snowflakes to major works in marble, he is inspired by landscape; more specifically, snowy outdoor scenes. Many of his installations include live trees or plants, which, when interspersed with paintings, drawings, and sculptures, completely alter traditional gallery and museum exhibition spaces. Other prevalent themes are amusement, motion, play and desire, which in past works have taken the form of roller coasters, the island of Hong Kong, and highway interchanges carved in pure white marble. In a range of diverse media, Sone explores his love of nature, and in particular snow and skiing, by emphasizing the individuality of natural forms through his choice of materials.

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