Larder is pleased to present the solo exhibition And so it goes by Tokyo–based, Japanese artist Emi Mizukami. The exhibition features a new series of paintings and drawings by the artist. At once allegorical and abstruse, the series develops a dense visual and material language, engaging with ancient and contemporary modes of representation. Various symbols, motifs and references emerge repeatedly across the work. These include ancient mythological images such as snakes, swords and angels, disembodied and enlarged hands and feet, the nineteenth-century board game, Reversi and Kurt Vonnegut’s 1969 science-fiction novel, Slaughterhouse-Five.

Building up the painting’s surface through numerous layers of imagery and sand paste–thickened paint, these recurring depictions become simultaneously concretized and obscured as they emerge or submerge. Although earlier images now lie hidden underneath the surface, Mizukami does not distinguish any hierarchy between these visible and invisible layers. Instead, the hidden and exposed - described by the artist as the “disappearing” and “remaining” images - are seen as mutually developing the painting’s pictorial, temporal and structural plane.

These sealed, under-layers resurface on the backs of the paintings as loosely drawn and painted fragments from the artist’s memory. In this way, the work’s representational structure and allegorical timeline is further complicated as supposed origin images and initial sketches are reconstituted as final marks and remembered traces.



Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, Not forever, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 33.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Not forever, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 33.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Not forever, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 33.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Not forever, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 33.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Not forever, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 33.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Not forever, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 33.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, I am you, and you are me IV, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 61 x 43 cm.


Emi Mizukami, I am you, and you are me IV, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 61 x 43 cm.


Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, Poo Tee Weet, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42 x 32.8 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Poo Tee Weet, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42 x 32.8 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Poo Tee Weet, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42 x 32.8 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Poo Tee Weet, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42 x 32.8 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 24.5 x 17.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 24.5 x 17.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 24.5 x 17.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 24.5 x 17.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, Moon, 2023. Pencil on paper. 29.7 x 21 cm framed.


Emi Mizukami, Moon, 2023. Detail shot. Pencil on paper. 29.7 x 21 cm framed.


Emi Mizukami, Option, 2023. Pencil on paper. 29.7 x 21 cm framed.


Emi Mizukami, Option, 2023. Detail shot. Pencil on paper. 29.7 x 21 cm framed.


Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, You loved Pale phantom, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste on old souvenir swan painting. 28.5 x 23 cm.


Emi Mizukami, You loved Pale phantom, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste on old souvenir swan painting. 28.5 x 23 cm.


Emi Mizukami, You loved Pale phantom, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste on old souvenir swan painting. 28.5 x 23 cm.


Emi Mizukami, You loved Pale phantom, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste on old souvenir swan painting. 28.5 x 23 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Game master II, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.3 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Game master II, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.3 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Any number of wishes is acceptable VIII, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 131 x 90.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Any number of wishes is acceptable VIII, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 131 x 90.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, Prologue and Epilogue, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 73.5 x 53 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Prologue and Epilogue, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 73.5 x 53 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Prologue and Epilogue, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 73.5 x 53 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Prologue and Epilogue, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 73.5 x 53 cm.


Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, Prologue and Epilogue DWG, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42 x 32.8 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Prologue and Epilogue DWG, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42 x 32.8 cm.


Emi Mizukami, I am you, and you are me V, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 85 x 60 cm.


Emi Mizukami, I am you, and you are me V, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 85 x 60 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.2 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.2 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.2 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.2 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Untitled, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.2 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Bloom III, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 54.5 x 44.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Bloom III, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 54.5 x 44.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Bloom III, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 54.5 x 44.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Bloom III, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 54.5 x 44.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, I am you, and you are me, 2022. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 81.5 x 57 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Fourth Wonderful Day, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 28 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Fourth Wonderful Day, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 28 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Fourth Wonderful Day, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 42.5 x 28 cm.


Emi Mizukami, And so it goes, 2023. Installation shot.


Emi Mizukami, Metamorphoses, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.3 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Metamorphoses, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.3 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Metamorphoses, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.3 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Metamorphoses, 2023. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.3 x 24.5 cm.


Emi Mizukami, Metamorphoses, 2023. Detail shot. Acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, sand paste, desert sand, linen on panel. 34.3 x 24.5 cm.

Photos: Ian Byers-Gamber and Evan Walsh