GARDE will present the group exhibition “Beyond the Archetype” at GOCA by Garde—the art gallery operated by GARDE— starting Thursday, March 5, 2026. The exhibition features works by artists Chié Shimizu, Sao Tanaka, and Seongmin Ahn.
This exhibition reexamines how the concept of the “archetype” has been shaped throughout history and transmitted across cultures and societies. It explores the invisible structures underlying frameworks such as life, nation, and culture from an open and objective perspective, fluidly reconsidering their boundaries.
By intersecting elements often framed as opposites—tradition and modernity, East and West, nature and artificiality—the three artists examine cultural memory and spirituality through their distinct approaches, suggesting new possibilities for archetypes in contemporary society.
Highlights of this exhibition
・Chié Shimizu
Chié Shimizu continues to question human existence in contemporary society through sculptural works rooted in Japan’s traditional performing arts and spiritual culture. Drawing on the philosophy of Japanese arts such as Noh and the tea ceremony, the sense of impermanence found in Japanese literature, and the aesthetic concept of yūgen, the artist examines the emotions and spirituality hidden within the human psyche. In the representative Head Series, the artist symbolically visualizes emotions shared across eras by projecting contemporary anxieties—such as the 2020 pandemic and political unrest—onto the expressions of Noh masks. The work Untitled No.16, exhibited in this show, draws inspiration from the traditional Japanese lion dance. Through two contrasting forms—stillness and movement—it suggests the importance of balance between spirit and body. By reinterpreting ancient shamanistic thought and the transience of life within a contemporary narrative, the piece questions the fundamental meaning of human existence.
左： Untitled No.16 (subtitle: Spirits of Lion Mask),2020
Ultra-cal, plaster, seashell powder, pigments, white gold and silver leaf, twine
35 x 28 x 35 inches (89 x 71 x 79 cm)
右：Wall Head No.8 : Rage,2025
Ultra-cal, plaster, seashell powder, pigments, gold and white gold leaf, wire, bamboo, twine
12 x 7.5 x 28 inches (30.5 x 18 x 71cm)
・Sao Tanaka
Sao Tanaka takes the historical form of sumi-e ink painting as a starting point, depicting the memory of the land and the collective identity of its people as contemporary landscapes. Based on the view that the concept of “nature” in Japanese painting was constructed within the ideology of “tradition” during Japan’s modernization, the artist reconfigures natural elements—light, water, mountains, and air—drawn from diverse art histories and visual cultures, creating landscapes in which imaginary myths unfold. By juxtaposing technology and tradition, the work reveals the fluidity of history and institutions. It visualizes the tensions and contradictions within the binary of nature and artificiality, exploring the ambiguous gradations that exist between these opposing concepts.
左：There Was Day and There Was Evening 2, 2024
sumi ink, acrylic oil, gold paint on mulberry paper
12 x 12 inches（30.5 x 30.5 cm）
右：Mythopoeia (#1), 2026
sumi ink, acrylic oil, gold paint on mulberry paper
24 x 18 inches（61 x 45.7 cm）
・Seongmin Ahn
Seongmin Ahn creates works that reexamine cultural exchange and the fluidity of time by reinterpreting traditional Korean painting through the lens of modern science and multilayered spatial concepts. Drawing on a background in traditional Korean painting, the artist brings together historically distinct styles—ink wash and colored painting—within a single canvas, expressing forms of coexistence and balance in contemporary society. By incorporating a perspective distinct from Western linear perspective—specifically the Eastern concept of reverse perspective, in which multiple viewpoints coexist—the work suggests that seemingly opposing elements such as East and West, or tradition and modernity, can exist in complementary relationships. The result is the emergence of multilayered, hybrid spaces that present new cultural archetypes beyond existing frameworks.
左：Peonyhat Vanilla 4, 2024
Ink, pigment, and wash on plywood
23 x 27 inches（58.4 x 68.5 cm）
右：Cloudwater Italian Frame 3, 2019
Ink, pigment, and wash on plywood
28 x 28 inches（71.1 x 71.1 cm）
Exibition Overview
Title: Beyond the Archetype
Dates: March 5 (Thu) – April 23 (Thu), 2026
Venue: GOCA by Garde
515 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011, USA
Admission: Free
Official Website: https://www.goca.gallery/
Artist Profile
Chié Shimizu
Chié Shimizu earned a BFA in Metalwork from the Department of Crafts at Tokyo University of the Arts and received an MFA in Sculpture from the New York Academy of Art in 2001. Shimizu is currently based in Queens, New York. Major solo exhibitions include NowHere Gallery (New York, 2022) and Gallery Kōbō (Tokyo, 1993, 1996, 2025). In 2024, the artist received First Prize at the Summer Exhibition held at Forum Gallery. Shimizu has also participated in artist residencies at Château de Balleroy in France and The Church in Sag Harbor, New York.
Official Website: http://www.chieshimizu.com/
Sao Tanaka
Sao Tanaka graduated from the Japanese Painting program at Tama Art University in 2014 and later earned a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Sociology at Hitotsubashi University. In 2021, Tanaka studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Major solo exhibitions include TSUTAYA GALLERY (Tokyo, 2025) and Mizuma & Kips Gallery (New York, 2022). The artist has also participated in group exhibitions at The Drawing Center (New York, 2025) and Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art (2018), among others. Tanaka received a grant from the Pola Art Foundation (2024–2025) and has participated in artist residencies at the NARS Foundation (2024) and the Vermont Studio Center (2025), among others.
Official Website: https://www.saotanaka.com/
Seongmin Ahn
Seongmin Ahn earned an MFA in Oriental Painting from Seoul National University and later obtained an MFA in Multidisciplinary Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Ahn has been involved in educational programs at institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Queens Museum, and the Asia Society. The works are held in collections such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Princeton University Art Museum, and the Hudson River Museum. Ahn has received numerous grants, including from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.
Official Website: https://www.seongminahn.com/
GARDE Design Magazine provides project portfolio, trends in architecture, design, and art, and event information.
The project portfolio and the latest information on GARDE are now available on our official website.
>Click here to visit our project portfolio.
>Click here for the latest information on GARDE