Early explorations where memory takes physical form. Wire, paper, and handmade forms become vessels for what cannot be spoken.
The line becomes architecture. Paths, routes, and passages map a psychological terrain between inside and outside.
The body's outer layer as testimony. Wrinkles, folds, and scars appear as wandering lines. The wound is also a record.
Where the journey arrives: a state of stillness. Bronze, wire, and restrained painting distil years of practice into presence. The figure exists between someone and no one.
Mariko Kumon is a Japanese artist based in Barcelona, Spain, known for her diverse artistic practice across sculpture, installation, conceptual art, and painting. She majored in applied mathematics at a Japanese university, and about twenty years ago she changed her life and began studying art, particularly sculpture. Her work often explores themes of memory, nature, and human relationships, drawing on her experiences in Japan and Europe. Kumon exhibits her work internationally, participating in numerous prominent art fairs and group exhibitions in cities such as New York, London, Venice, Paris, Dubai, and Madrid. Her practice frequently reflects her own cross-cultural journey from Japan to Spain, focusing on cultural gaps and identity. Her sculptures are often minimalist, centered on natural forms and materials, imbued with a deep respect for organic beauty and the transience of life.
Exhibition documentation, studio process, and artist talks
Exhibition at Times Square, New York
Installation view
Featured in Artist Talk Magazine
Exhibition documentation
Artist talk and conference
Studio process
Work documentation
Opening of first solo show in Barcelona
