In Japanese, Kokoro (Jb) refers to the convergence of heart, mind, and spirit. As the conceptual axis of this exhibition, Kokoro — The Heart of Things brings together five artists from Japan and Sri Lanka in a dialogue shaped by material, memory, and landscape. Working across painting, sculpture, ceramics, and installation, the artists draw from traditions such as Nihonga painting, figurative sculpture, and ceramic practice while reinterpreting them through contemporary perspectives. Materials including mineral pigments, gold leaf, and clay become vessels through which moments of change, reflection, and transformation are held.
Positioned between permanence and transience, the works reflect shared sensitivities to nature, spirituality, and the passage of time. In this convergence of practices and cultural contexts, Kokoro unfolds as a quiet space of encounter where the inner dimensions of experience can be contemplated through form and material.
Kingsly Gunathilaka, Kenji Nakamura, Kayoko Kusumoto, Wakako Sato, Kani Toshikazu
