Amalgam

About

The title “Amalgam,” derived from the Medieval Latin amalgama, refers to the fusion of different elements into something new. Created while living as immigrants in New York—a place where cultures, ideas, systems, and values intersect—their works reflect each artist’s unfiltered perspective on society.

Irie Hiroki, a photographer, captures fleeting moments of people and landscapes around him, often born of chance. His images transcend mere representation and stir the viewer’s emotions. In this exhibition, he presents selected works from his recently published photo book Wakaranai (I Don’t Understand). These photos, themed around anguish, conflict, human connections, and light and shadow in the world, are framed in antique frames he restored himself—elevating the photograph from image to physical presence.

Sato Rihomi, based in New York since 2015, works in painting, drawing, collage, stitching, and mixed media using fabric, photographs, and other materials. Her practice embodies the themes of “body,” “structure,” and “boundary.” Reflecting her experiences as a Japanese female immigrant in the U.S., her new works are created through an embodied process of composition—assembling the image with and through her body.

Hirano Takuya is exhibiting as an artist for the first time. Originally trained in architecture in Japan, he moved to New York after gaining professional experience. At GOLD WOOD, he has supported exhibitions through building crates and fixtures. In this exhibition, he presents works inspired by leftover materials from daily studio work. By focusing on the traces left during the process of making frames, his works reconfigure perception by transforming the frame from a supporting object into a self-contained material and form.

This is the first time all three artists are exhibiting together, and it also marks the first group show by affiliated artists at GOLD WOOD’s gallery. We invite you to experience the works born from their daily exchanges between labor and creation.