Katsuhito Ishii goes from filmmaker to visual artist with a gallery show in Paris

by Chris MaGee

Fans of the films of Katsuhito Ishii know that the 42-year-old director definitely has an inspired visual style. You only have to see his comedies "Party 7", "The Taste of Tea" and "Funky Forest: The First Contact" to see that, but now Ishii is expanding his visuals into the field of fine art. Galerie Vanessa Quang in Paris will be hosting an exhibition of the filmmaker's photography, mixed media sculpture, illustration, and video pieces titled "ISHIILAND" from June 7th to July 31st. Gallery-goers will be amongst the first to see works like "Nico/ Light" (above right), Ishii's polyurethane resin doll and his silkscreen print "Faces: Racer Girl" (above left) amongst other works. To get a better idea of what lucky Parisians will be getting a look at head over to Nippon Cinema where Kevin Ouellette has even more still and sketches.