Kyoto Meetings

MAKI Gallery’s presentation for the Kyoto Meetings section is dedicated to new work by Anne Kagioka Rigoulet, inspired by Kyoto’s abundant nature and profound history. Born in Kanagawa in 1987, Kagioka combines fabric collage with traditional oil and mural painting techniques in her unique method, applying multiple layers of paint and partially scraping them away to reveal the colors underneath. The resulting semi-sculptural paintings harness the fluid energy of water reflections to deconstruct and reassemble surrounding landscapes. Every work is based on a specific body of water, and for Art Collaboration Kyoto, the artist turned her focus to a stream flowing through Kamo Wakeikazuchi Shrine (Kamigamo Shrine). The stream’s wavering surface captures a sight often found in Kyoto: a delicate interplay of natural and human-made elements. The lush green of the dense foliage flourishing along the bank is juxtaposed against the striking vermilion of the torii (sacred gates) and arched bridges. The reflected image—fragmented by the water’s ripples—vacillates between figuration and abstraction, enveloping the viewer in a flurry of vibrant hues and perpetually moving shapes. Not only does this project mark the first time Kagioka painted water reflections in Kyoto, but it also incorporates new techniques recently developed by the artist. With this added spatial and textural complexity, her paintings intricately capture the essence of an ancient city permeated by hundreds of rivers and canals.