Noe Aoki

Sculptor

Born in Tokyo,1958. Completed a master’s degree at Musashino Art University. Since 1980s, one of the key materials that Aoki has often made use of is iron; a substance more abundant on earth than water, and one which has fascinated mankind for millennia. Her work is the result of a repeated process of fusing and welding numerous parts of industrial iron sheets together. Such craftsmanship induces and liberates the very notions of sculpture (through the chunks of material), and drastically alters the environment in which the work is installed. In recent years, she has started to implement a range of materials from plaster to glass and even soap bars. Since 1997, she has continued to create series of publications made in copperplate, woodcut and paper print. Her major solo exhibitions include “Mesocyclone” (2021, ANOMALY), “Fog, Iron, Mountains” (2019, Fuchu Art Museum), and “furisosogu monotachi” (2012, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art). Aoki has been awarded the Minster of Education’s Choice: New Artist prize in 2021.

Photo by Masako Nagano Courtesy of the artist and ANOMALY