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SMIKE KÄSZNER &
YAMATO KINOSHITA
Art for ordinary people
September 10 - October 2, 2022

My inner Japanese
 
My art often is a combination of words and pictures, that questions the surrounding society. I have an opinion, of just about anything. Which isn’t so strange, given that I am a Dane. It is a Nordic thing. We have flat hierarchical societies, we are encouraged to be anti-authoritarian. We even question God and make fun of him in children’s programs on public service television. 
 
So we are raised to question and following that, comes that we are expected to have an opinion. You might see a Danish child tell the parents that he or she doesn’t care. In Danish doesn’t care, is ligeglad (and glad means happy). And you might very well hear the parents respond: Hvis man er ligeglad er man aldrig rigtig glad, meaning, if you don’t care, you are never really happy. 
 
I once met this guy in a bar, who figured that his recent divorce was a result of having to have an opinion. Especially the trips to IKEA had been poison to the marriage, because a simple thing like buying a thermo could not be completed without both putting forth their opinion and then debating.
 
I don’t have that problem. I am married to a Cuban and she certainly doesn’t require my opinion about what household wear to buy. I love it. 
 
I am going to use this exhibition as an opportunity to not care. To not have any opinion or ask any smart questions in my art. No clever comments or jokes. I’ll go back to the beginning, where the tree of art divides the very first time; into line and colour. Line that further along the evolution connects to storytelling. And colours that further along connects to music – creating atmosphere. I’ll just concentrate on the aesthetics. No one masters the pure aesthetics, better than the Japanese. Their art is so tight, so focused, so balanced. I love Japanese art. And Japanese culture. And Japanese people. I can’t say the same about mainland Chinese. Quite the contrary. 
 
For a while I’ll leave Smike Käszner behind. Instead, I will be Japanese. I will be 大和 Yamato 木下 Kinoshita. That sounds cool. And Yamato is just into the surface aesthetics. He doesn't even care if it is canvas or beachwear textile, that he is doing his art on. He has even established an online bikini shop that sells his art on bikinis and other swimwear. In honour of his late friend, he has named the shop: smike.fashion.
 
I believe in Yamato.

Smike Käszner, 2022


Download exhibition catalogue here

Download Smike Käszners own text compendium here

 

Works Exhibited
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