Dialogue - cite' -
In a world overflowing with things, what prompts people to choose the things they need?
"I always feel that encountering something that resonates with me is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I feel extremely happy when I am absentmindedly unearthing a glimpse of the multi-layered world that lies deep within the object, the preciousness and beauty of simple activities that once existed."
So says Suzuki-san, the owner of the gallery "cite'" in Hiroshima City. He lived in Europe from 2000 to 2014, and while working as a photographer, he traveled around Europe, observing art and architecture and collecting antiques.
He has a deep appreciation for the depth of artistic expression, and loves old things that he says he is endlessly interested in. How did he develop this attitude of facing things without being bound by knowledge or preconceived notions? We spoke to him on the first day of the exhibition.
A city where the past and present intersect
"Follow what moves you." This idea is consistent in Suzuki's actions. As a student, he loved old things and was interested in manufacturing. After graduating from high school, he went on to university in Tokyo. During a long vacation, he went on a trip to Europe with a friend, which led to an event that connects him to the present. Rather than visiting tourist spots and stores, he simply walked the streets relying on his own instincts.
"The air was just so pleasant. I wanted to be in an environment where you can feel the traditions of the past and where people live vibrantly." With this in mind, Suzuki-san decided to leave Japan after returning to Japan and began preparing to emigrate. He dropped out of university and went to a university in Paris where he could major in photography and art.
Was there any difficulty in living there at the time, when he couldn't speak the language well? "More than anything, there were many fun things and things I wanted to learn, so I hardly ever thought about returning to Japan." He studied art during the week, went to antique markets on weekends, and traveled around Europe on his days off. After graduating, he became an independent photographer and lived in Europe for about 14 years. The scenery he saw and heard during that time, and the various experiences he had, made him look at Japan from the sidelines, and he says that all of this has led to his current activities.
Where curiosity leads
After returning to Japan, he moved to Hiroshima and opened "cite". He says that this place is a manifestation of his long-held desire to get involved in society on a more familiar level, and to address the questions he had about the world he had been a part of before. "It's important to value things that have a beautiful background beyond the beauty of their surface," and he communicates things related to life and daily life, as well as the activities of creators in a variety of fields, without separating antiques, works by contemporary artists, clothing, or sculptures.
"It's fun to see the content of the work deepen with each passing year, as the time I've spent with the creators I've been involved with accumulates." Suzuki deepens his relationships with artists who are mutually attracted to him, and creates exhibition scenes for each special exhibition. The sensations he gets through his five senses add warmth to the words he delivers.
Just being there
This time, Utsushiki held an "Antiques and Antique Furniture Exhibition." Along with antiques found in India and Japan, ceramics, glass, wooden tools, and other antiques that Suzuki has collected in Europe over the years were on display. The sight of antiques crossing the boundaries of genres, both Western and Eastern, was truly overwhelming.
"Old objects give me a sense of past life and beliefs, the coming and going of people and cultures, the time that accumulates in the traces, and the laws of the universe that reside in the decorations and shapes. It fascinates me to imagine how each world was created through some kind of cause and effect, through repeated movement and intersection. I find the greatest joy in the sense that this connects to the present, and in the fusion of these things with things made in the modern era."
Using old things may be like traveling far away while living in the present. It's like expanding your imagination on the time axis and reading reality as a single story. By doing so, your everyday life will become deeper and more enjoyable.
Chase what you love
"When I move around following my interests, I always encounter surprising things," says Suzuki. Listen carefully to the feelings that well up from within, not the values that others have decided for you. This teaches us to cherish the moments that move our hearts, regardless of the times or trends.
"The things I like have remained almost the same for the past 20 years, and as my interests and areas increase every year, my world expands, but I still can't grasp the bottom of it. Old and new sensations, history, the joy of encountering the world and making discoveries. I feel how blessed I am that I can't grasp the bottom of it."
Suzuki's innocent and boundless spirit of inquiry will no doubt continue unchanged for a long time to come.
After this conversation , looking back at Suzuki's career, I feel that every event in his life is connected to his current activities. Making decisions based on your own values is about continuing to ask yourself questions until you find an answer that you can truly accept. As you go through your daily life, there are small events that happen around you. I want to take each one of them as carefully as possible and keep moving forward.
Interviewer and writer: Yoshiaki Ono
Antiques and antique furniture exhibition
This has become a regular New Year event, and this time, antiques found in India and Japan will be displayed alongside antiques collected in France by Suzuki Ryo, the owner of a gallery called Cite' in Hiroshima.
The antiques were selected little by little in France, where he lived for nearly 15 years. The items were selected by his eye, which is filled with love and knowledge of antiques. I hope that the exhibition will be a genre-less display of items that cross the East and the West, and the primitive and the civilized. For some, the antiques may be junk and unnecessary, but they are the ones who find value in them. Antiques are mysterious tools that have stood the test of time. Who decides the value of an object? If you can find beauty in them, I believe it all comes down to this one point. I want people to choose with pure, unclouded eyes, deciding based on their own values, not those of others.
