Aki Kuroda by Anne Kerner - Cosmojungle

Cosmojungle by Anne Kerner - 2009

“My latest series of paintings is called “Cosmojungle”. My subject for twenty years was "Cosmogarden". Which means that everything is a garden: the body, the city, the garden, you, me… Everything exists there. His story, that of the world. And it all moves. There are waves, constant changes. Everything happens between the third and the fourth dimension. And you always have to find a room without limit. Always find something else, something else again...

The key word of my work is “Inside out / Outside in”… You know, I like walking around town. She invades me. And, after a while, it's my spirit that comes to her. A kind of interiority that comes out. There, I create my secret corner. It is a place where daily life becomes stronger, more dynamic. Because I am neither Japanese nor French. I am uprooted. So I need to always have the feeling of living in a more dynamic way with the city which is becoming more and more my subject.

Initially, my “garden paintings” were worked on piece by piece. Now rather exists the accumulation of all things. The garden is thus metamorphosed into a jungle. This also corresponds to my work done with the choreography, the large statues, the Minotaur, the spaceship… just like my work in collaboration with architects. There is a very strong fusion between us, while remaining completely autonomous. So I also really work “in” the city since, among other things, last year I just carried out three collaborations with architects in Japan. Today, I propose my idea to the architect. And we go piece by piece. Like a walk. I participated in Japan in Tokyo Dom, a rock concert hall. I started by creating 20 meters by 5 and then they gave me a wall of 70 meters, then the floor and the ceiling! It was great. We added and changed things.

The city must therefore revolve around art…. You have to integrate complex installations that communicate with people. Because links must be woven between people and sculpture. The paint should act the same way. That's why I always work on simple things, with few means and I create space… As I said before, I love the city and its cafes. I am still waiting, every day, for the discovery of something on the terrace of a café. I come across different faces, expressions of astonishment, which I love. Now I want to create my own map of Paris. There, it becomes much more interesting. I also like to walk because I circulate in space and space is also theatre, painting, life.

In my paintings, there are many details. Here, a cup of coffee. There, my rabbit, which has taken the place of the Minotaur in my paintings, has become too historic and makes reference to the "Minotaur" magazine that my father bought. The rabbit is a kind of guide like in “Alice in Wonderland” but in Aki Kuroda's labyrinth! The labyrinth is painting, me, you… There are also several figures with always the same cast shadows. And many animals, monsters. Of course, there are also the bubbles, These are perfect spheres in the chaos, and around the spheres, other bubbles, of soap, this time imperfect, like gelatin. And at the same time, it's the universe, the earth. You can still see jumping fish. And more green plants coming out of town. There are also people in scribbles, surprised faces. It's an expression that I like. Like the face of a young girl in ecstasy.

These paintings are the representation of my conception of "the city", of its history, of history, of art history, etc. It is the very basis of painting when working with real life. »

Cosmojungle by Anne Kerner - 2009