Claudia Kogachi

The large, colourful two-dimensional surfaces of Claudia Kogachi profile the conflicts of the artists personal life. When viewed through the lense of the artists Japanese heritage, these works stand defiant and non-lecturous, which makes for a refreshing experience in today’s politically themed art world.

Since graduating Elam in 2018 Claudia Kogachi has been on an upward trajectory of creative output throughout Aotearoa. Having recently completed two conjunctive solo shows, one in Wellington the other in Auckland, with another scheduled for The Dowse opening May 29, It is high time our readership is introduced to the visual theatre of Claudia Kogachi.

Her painterly style is bold and unapologetic, the narratives within her work are presented using simple descriptive shapes and lines. Details such as tattoos, stubble and hair are illustrated with paint in a cartoon style. The settings surrounding her subjects use little to no depth-of-field, creating a colourful, decorative two-dimensional surface, full of theatre, honesty, and humour.

As a child growing up Kogachi travelled to Hawai’i every year and stay with her grandparents. In 2015 she did an exchange, attending the University of Hawai’i. The curriculum structure is different from New Zealand’s in that you can choose what you study by skill. It is here Kogachi learnt about weaving and it is also where she learnt to paint.

The artists first major show post graduating was Mother and Daughter on Hiatus in 2018. It featured her turbulent relationship with her mother at an imagined a series of competitive events, sorting out their disputes. Of this the artist stated, “This arena of sporting events categorises my disharmonic relationship with my mother into that of humour rather than stigma.” A relatable Illustrative analogy the artist has continued to use as a means of processing interpersonal challenges. 

That same year the Kogachi received the 2019 New Zealand Painting and Printmaking award for her painting Mom Wait Up. No stranger to accolades, Kogachi also gained First Class Honours from ELAM School of Fine Arts.

“These textiles depict frenetic activity; both in the illustration of labour, and as the outcomes of meticulous, labour-intensive fabrication. This series comprises a continuation of Kogachi’s engagement with autobiography, illustrating her introspection about economic and professional uncertainty…” 

— Artspace Aotearoa, 2020

In 2020 painting supplies were deemed non-essential; however, yarn was available, prompting a move to textile. Using an industrial tufting gun, the artist created a series of rug-works around her recently departed Jiichan (Grandfather) in Hawai’i, as she processed the grief. Since then, rugs have featured in most of the artists exhibitions – and there have been many, notably The New Artist Show 2020 at Artspace Aotearoa, where the subject covered different forms of labour that Kogachi had undertaken to support her art practice.

In April this year Kogachi exhibited her first series of paintings since getting out of lockdown with Jhana Millers in Wellington. It Is What It Is continues with the examination of the artists interpersonal relationships in the current. This series expresses niggling irritations Kogachi found herself having to navigate over the summer of 20/21 with difficult people.

With burgeoning interests in landscape design and an expanding practice in rug making, Kogachi promises to be an artist with a fruitful career. Currently she is working on a new series of paintings for an exhibition at The Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt later this month and a group show at Hastings City Art Gallery later this year. We look forward to seeing how the next chapter of Claudia Kogachi’s life expresses itself visually through her work.

Claudia Kogachi, Mosquitoes Claudia. Courtsey of Jhana Millers

Claudia Kogachi, Mosquitoes Jordie. Courtsey of Jhana Millers

“…They show Kogachi and her partner being assaulted or impeded by a variety of creatures as they attempt to go about their business. In The one with the mosquitoes, the couple lies in bed. Jordi — who framed all the works in the exhibition — sleeps, but he has clearly been bitten by the eponymous insects. Kogachi is awake, her face a picture of anxiety. Both figures are presented in an unglamorous fashion, stressing their vulnerability. 

The scenes are more immediately credible than those in her earlier paintings. While few people box in the lounge, many are bugged by sand hoppers while sunbathing. As before, however, deeper narratives are at play. The artist speaks of anxieties and frustrations that she has experienced recently, in the context of individual relationships, and as a consequence of issues affecting broader communities, such as the local art scene. Kogachi keeps the precise irritants covert. But she amps up the intimacy in other ways. The works include personal features, like freckles and tattoos.” 

— Francis McWhannell for Jhana Millers, 2021

Claudia Kogachi was born in Awaji-shima, Japan, in 1995. She holds a BFA from the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts. In 2019, she won the New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award. She has exhibited extensively in New Zealand and Hawaii. Based in Eden Terrace the artist can be found online claudiakogachi.com