Harumi
Sonoyama：
Lumiere
Ferris Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by artist Harumi Sonoyama, debuting his latest series Light alongside a special presentation of his first-ever installation work.
Widely regarded as a pioneering figure in lithography, Sonoyama has been devoted to the medium since the 1970s, developing four major thematic bodies of work over the decades. The exhibition Light introduces the artist’s fifth thematic series in its entirety, marking the beginning of a new creative phase and inviting audiences to witness this significant turning point.
Sonoyama’s practice places great emphasis on the transmission of subtle textures. He continues to work with the ancient technique of lithography to articulate his lifelong pursuit of light and his exploration of chromatic intensity. Details hidden within fragments of daily life become, in his vision, akin to stained glass—casting traces of presence and passage, suffused with delicate emotion and quiet atmospheres. Regardless of subject or composition, the pursuit of light remains the constant core of his work.
The new series originates from a fleeting yet profound moment in everyday life. One morning, seated beside his bed, Sonoyama noticed sunlight seeping through the narrow gap of closed curtains. Natural energy gradually entered the room as light diffused into the air, unfolding at the meeting point of brightness and shadow—at once translucent and piercing. This flowing presence of light found its way onto paper, initiating a new direction in the artist’s practice and ultimately giving rise to this exhibition.
Presented in full for the first time, the Light series invites viewers to return to that morning moment when sunlight penetrates darkness, reflecting on the luminous fragments embedded within the quiet intervals of daily life.
From light that softly emerges through pale tonal fields to illumination that pierces through deep darkness, Sonoyama navigates between extremes of brightness and shadow, capturing the most unforgettable expressions of light and color that reside between them. Light grants us a world of richness and perception, yet remains intangible. While artists have long represented light through contrast, intensity, and tonal variation, Sonoyama turns his focus toward light itself—seeking to grasp its posture and presence within the image.
This exhibition unfolds as a bold spatial experiment. Expanses of emptiness within the gallery resonate with the luminous voids within the works, forming an environment for contemplation. Moving through the space of Light, viewers are invited to breathe with it, move toward it, gaze into it, and search for it—allowing these fleeting moments of illumination to awaken traces of light embedded deep within memory and thought.
Artist
Born in Fukuoka, Japan in 1950. He graduated from the Painting Department of Tokyo Zokei University in 1972. From 1976 to 1978, he was sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan to study in Europe and the United States, where he focused on printmaking techniques.
Sonoyama advocates for a painterly approach to printmaking. His works are characterized by soft and restrained color, concise brushwork, refined sensibility, and exceptional technical precision. His mastery of lithography represents one of the highest standards of contemporary printmaking in Japan and internationally.
Since the early 1970s, Sonoyama has been active in major international exhibitions. In recent years, his artistic focus has gradually shifted from the observation of “objects” to an exploration of the “inner mind.” Moving beyond formal concerns of color, form, and composition, his practice now engages deeply with reflections on life, time, history, and memory.
His works are held in the collections of numerous major institutions, including the British Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, the Museum of Modern Art Ljubljana, the China Printmaking Museum, the National Art Museum of China, the Wuhan Art Museum, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and the China Academy of Art Museum.
