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Excavation Record II – Loro’s Heart

UPCOMING EXHIBITION

Kosuke Ajiro Solo Exhibition
“Excavation Record II – Loro’s Heart”

網代幸介

Celebrating the publication of the monograph Kingdom of Sally

2026.9.26 [Sat] – 10.11 [Sun]biscuit gallery (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

 

Artwork at biscuit gallery
Key visual for Kosuke Ajiro’s solo exhibition “Excavation Record II – Loro’s Heart”

biscuit gallery is pleased to present “Excavation Record II – Loro’s Heart,” a solo exhibition by Kosuke Ajiro. The exhibition celebrates the publication of Kingdom of Sally, the artist’s first full-scale monograph, released by biscuit books, the publishing division of biscuit gallery. The opening day, Saturday, September 26, is also the book’s publication date.

Kosuke Ajiro "Excavation Record II – Loro’s Heart"
Installation view

“Loro” is the name of the creator god in the mythology of the Sally Kingdom, the world Ajiro has been drawing for years. While “Excavation Record I – Sayonara,” his first solo exhibition in the United States, opening at GR gallery in New York during the same period, takes the end of the kingdom as its theme, this exhibition goes back to its counterpart: the beginning. Fragments of the kingdom unearthed over ten years unfold here in a single book and in the rooms of biscuit gallery.

Artist Statement

Loro’s Heart

The old flag of the Sally Kingdom bore a strange-shaped emblem.
It is said to have been modeled after Loro’s heart.
Loro was deeply worshipped during a time when the people of the Sally Kingdom still believed in many gods.

It was believed that Loro’s heart held a power equal to that of the sun.
It was said to ward off misfortune, keep illness at bay, and bring wealth.
Those who wore its shape were believed to receive a portion of Loro’s power.

People wore it as a talisman, placed it in their homes, and painted it on vessels and buildings.
From around the 3rd century BCE to the 6th century CE, the “Heart of Loro” was said to have been used throughout the kingdom.
I have found the same shape appearing again and again in the paintings I have excavated.

But around the 6th century, a great change took place in the Sally Kingdom.
Sally declared herself a god, and the people began to worship Sally alone.
Loro, once worshipped as an ancient god, was cast aside, and the “Heart of Loro” became a symbol of heresy.
The emblem was scraped away from temples, hearts carved into stone were destroyed, and many of the old paintings were lost.
For this reason, only a small number of images of the Heart of Loro have survived to the present day.

The painting excavated this time is believed to have been made around the 6th century.
Within a frame shaped like Loro’s heart, a young woman with braided hair is depicted.

I have encountered this girl many times before in the paintings I have excavated.
I still do not know why she appears in so many of them.

I call her Reinette.

Kosuke Ajiro

Publication of the monograph Kingdom of Sally

On Saturday, September 26, 2026, the opening day of the exhibition, biscuit books, the publishing division of biscuit gallery, will release Kingdom of Sally, the first monograph by Kosuke Ajiro. It gathers more than 130 works made between 2017 and 2026, together with a newly written story in ten chapters (in Japanese and English).

The artist is scheduled to be at the gallery on the opening day, Saturday, September 26. From around 15:00, the artist will sign copies of the monograph for those who purchase it, and an opening party will follow from 17:00 to 20:00.

During the exhibition, the artist will also hold live painting sessions in the gallery. Visitors will be able to watch long picture scrolls and paintings take shape up close.

INFORMATION

ExhibitionKosuke Ajiro Solo Exhibition “Excavation Record II – Loro’s Heart”

DatesSaturday, September 26 – Sunday, October 11, 2026
* The artist is scheduled to be present on Saturday, September 26. Book signing from around 15:00 (for purchasers of the monograph only); opening party 17:00 – 20:00.
* Live painting sessions by the artist are scheduled during the exhibition, offering visitors a close look at long picture scrolls and paintings in the making.

HoursThu–Sun 13:00 – 19:00 (closed Mon, Tue, Wed)

Venuebiscuit gallery (Shinjuku, Tokyo)

AddressMatsui Building 8F, 3-32-10 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan

Contactinfo@biscuitgallery.com

Further details, including the works on view, will be announced on this website and on our official social media as soon as they are confirmed. We look forward to welcoming you.

View the Works ›Buy the book ›Kingdom of Sally ›Artist page ›

* Books are dispatched in order of purchase after your order is confirmed.