Kineko at Solway

Jun Kaneko


We attended the opening reception of Jun Keneko's exhibition at Carl Solway Gallery on friday. And for those of you who are not familiar with the gallery...some might say, "you are missing out." The premiere gallery in the mid-west is located on Findlay Street and resides in the heart of the west end of Cincinnati. It just might be the only gallery in the region, outside the museum structure, where one can see current work of the art super stars. True to form, the artist Jun Kaneko delivers. 

Kaneko's solo show features ceramic sculptures, large paintings and print work. The ceramic sculptures combine the simplest of shapes and form with the activity similar to the Post-painterly Abstraction of the 1960's. When you enter the front room of the gallery, you are overwhelmed by more than a dozen life size free standing sculptures. The large shapes are activated by brilliant glazes of color applied by brush. The mark-making is exquisite. There is a strong contrast between the colorful marks and the ceramic shapes. The stand out artwork in the series is much more subdued than the others. The color scheme relies primarily on black, red, and white, which is broken up sensitively by geometric shapes (left).

During the opening we were able to speak with Carl Solway. Over the last week the conversation caused a great deal of reflection for us. During the brief conversation, Carl spoke of being an art advocate for his generation. He continued... saying that it was important for young people to be advocates for their own generation. The experience was humbling.

We were pleasantly surprised at what we found while looking deeper into Jun Kineko's work. The project and now organization is called "KANEKO"

+ KANEKO is a new kind of organization - not a museum - not a gallery - not a library nor a research center - but an open space for open minds that nurtures and promotes creativity in the arts, sciences, and philosophy.

+ Through progressive exhibitions, performances, lectures, symposia, and innovative programming we encourage people to explore and experience the creative process that is essential to all human activity.

+ Organized as a public non-profit, KANEKO has begun its own creative process, developing programs and evolving its facility in Omaha, Nebraska.


Jun Kaneko at Carl Solway Gallery thru April 23, 2011
424 Findlay Street. Cincinnati, Ohio 45214

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