June 15, 2021/ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Over the last year, as the world has faced an unprecedented situation, people have been missing close contact with each other and have been yearning to reconnect with their families, friends and communities. In his site-specific installation from June 16 to September 6 at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, titled, “RECONNECTING: A Vision of Unity by Kengo Kito,” Japanese artist Kengo Kito (b.1977) will use 2,021 hula hoops to explore ideas of connection and re-connection.

By opening up the hoops and linking them to each other end-to-end, he creates one expansive, interconnected whole that fills the space with color, line and light. His first hula hoop exhibition in the United States, the colorful structure will serve as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of all humanity, a theme that resonates deeply today.

To mark the opening of the exhibition, Kito will discuss his work and answer questions from guests via Zoom.

About the Artist

Kengo Kito

Kengo Kito (b. 1977, Japan) received a BFA in oil painting at Nagoya University of Fine Arts and Music in 2001 and completed his Postgraduate Studies at Kyoto City University of Arts in 2003. From 2010-12, he lived and worked in Berlin, Germany and since then has shown his work widely in Japan and overseas.

Kito mainly uses hula hoops, laces, chains, mirrors, and other daily objects to create artworks. He plays with ordinary ready-made materials to make two- and three-dimensional sculptures, installations, and videos. He draws inspiration from biology, organisms, and nature and often explores such themes as connectivity and reflection.

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