Forces Beyond Human Control
Susanoo is the storm god of Japanese mythology — a deity of raging seas, sudden tempests and untamed force. In this solo exhibition, Tomiyuki Kaneko explores the figure across three large-scale paintings that wrap the gallery walls, drawing on the syncretic traditions through which Susanoo has long been worshipped. The pieces are shown alongside more than a dozen smaller works, including painted stones, a papier-mâché mask and a Daruma figure.
Kaneko’s work keeps returning to the question of how cultures have given form to forces beyond human control. Working from a remote village in Yamagata, Tohoku, he gives shape to invisible spiritual beings — deities, spirits, yokai — drawing on layers of faith and reverence accumulated over centuries.
Tomoyuki Kaneko, “Takehaya Susanoo” (2025). Courtesy of Mizuma Art Gallery
