Munson to host Kei Ito exhibition “Echoes of the Invisible”

Utica, N.Y. — Munson will host an exhibition by interdisciplinary installation artist Kei Ito titled “Echoes of the Invisible,” on view Oct. 4 through 31 in the Pratt Munson Gallery in Fountain Elms. This exhibition is free and open to the public.

Ito, who works primarily with photographic media and sculpture, explores the complexities of identity, historical traumas, and the enduring legacy of nuclear warfare. His photographs are fundamentally rooted in the trauma and legacy passed down from his late grandfather, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and the loss of many other family members from the explosion and subsequent radiation poisoning. Within his research and photographic processes, he recasts memories of horror and trauma into an oasis of peaceful reflection.

Through a diverse array of artistic expressions, “Echoes of the Invisible” delves into the shadows of the past, shedding light on invisible scars and shared histories while honoring individuality and cultural heritage.

The included works investigate the intricate layers and relationship of the historical traumas associated with nuclear weapons but also the mythology constructed around them. Ito’s photographic prints of action figures affected by radiation, for example, highlight the romanticized view of radiation and toxic waste exposure — an occurrence that affects many people negatively to this day.

Ito’s solo and group exhibitions have been published and reviewed in the “Washington Post Magazine,” “Hyperallergic,” “BBC Culture & Art,” “BmoreArt,” “ArtMaze Magazine,” “ESSE Magazine” and various newspapers worldwide. His works are included in major institutional collections, such as the Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago, Ill.), the Norton Museum of Art (West Palm Beach, Fla.), the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art (Fort Collins, Colo.), En Foco (New York City), and the Eskenazi Museum of Art (Bloomington, Ind.).

Ito earned his BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology and his MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art.

For more information, visit munson.art.