Mariko Makino
Unfold, Refold, 2022
Western red cedar, argon gas, neon tubing
26 x 11.5 x 4 in.
Mariko Makino is a sculptor working in neon and wood. The tubes of neon are bent with fire by Makino into crescents and curves whose forms evoke the organic silhouettes of cascading trees and blossoming fauna. The neon is bound to carved wooden plinths in a method that mirrors bracing supports commonly found in both home gardening and arboriculture. Makino plays with light and form akin to Isamu Noguchi’s conception of akari – light as weightless illumination. Distinct from commercial neon signage that fleetingly demands consumers’ attention, Makino’s light sculptures create a shared sensorial atmosphere that invites the audience to dwell and bask in their radiance.
Mariko Makino was born in 1987 in New York, NY, raised in Tokyo, Japan, and obtained a BA from New York University in 2010. She lives and works between New York, NY and Freehold, NY. She has been artist in residence at Entrance since 2020.
Click images below to enlarge
You Can Stay, 2022
Found heart pine, argon gas, neon tubing
8.5 x 2 x 14 in.
M, 2022
Cedar, Douglas Fir, Neon Tubing, Wire
21 x 4 x 12 in.
Narrow Sleeves, 2022
Cedar, neon tubing, wire
21 x 6 x 13 in.
Wet Wings, 2023
Heart pine, neon tubing, argon gas, thread
12 x 6 x 55.5 in.
Turns, 2023
Heart pine, neon tubing, argon gas, thread
15.5 x 12 x 7 in.
Eastern Pine, 2022
Found heart pine, argon gas, neon tubing
17 x 3 x 22 in.
Roll Cage, 2022
Cedar, neon tubing
7 x 23 x 5.5 in.
Untitled, 2022
Neon tubing, argon gas, wood
17 x 10 x 10 in
LG, 2022
Ash wood, argon gas, neon tubing, wire
14 x 18 x 19 in.
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Canopy - Entrance, New York, NY
2022 Highway Through the Ranges - Paris London Hong Kong, Chicago, IL
2018 Rest Area - Entrance, New York, NY
Group Exhibitions
2023 NADA Miami 2023 - Entrance, Miami, FL
2023 Light Trail - North Loop, Williamstown, MA
2023 Light Waves - Document, Lisbon, Portugal
2023 Felix 2023 - Document, Los Angeles, CA
2022 NADA Miami 2022 - Entrance, Miami, FL
2022 NADA New York 2022 - Entrance, New York, NY
Education
BA - New York University