The KURA gallery at ISSEY MIYAKE KYOTO presents KURA Exhibition “100 FLŌRA by Kenta Umemoto.”

In 2024, Paris-based photographer Kenta Umemoto and A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE released the “TYPE-VIII Kenta Umemoto project.” The flowers in Umemoto’s “FLŌRA” series were transformed into garments where vibrant floral imagery overlapped with organic, spontaneous forms.
This exhibition presents “100 FLŌRA,” a collection of photographic prints that expands this exploration even further. By taking a deep dive into printing techniques, the floral images have been given renewed expressions and depth.
The 100 works that fill the exhibition space were created using an inkjet printer. By spraying microscopic ink particles onto the surface of the paper, the printer merges conventional color expression with subtle specular reflections to create richly textured images. Umemoto treats this approach not as a “reproduction device” but rather as a “tool for drawing.” What is most distinctive is the use of silver pigment: printed in color over a black base layer, the floral images reveal subtle shifts of light, a metallic sheen, and the distinctive graininess unique to silver.
Silver pigment reacts with oxygen, humidity, and other elements in the air, causing slight changes in color and density. Umemoto interprets this phenomenon as ginka(silver transformation), a continuous renewal of the medium over time. Through this process, the surfaces of the works do not remain permanently fixed; instead, they reveal different expressions depending on the moment of viewing.
“100 FLŌRA” was created based on the belief that the process as a whole serves to maximize the work itself. We invite you to experience the subtle transformation of these silver floral images as they continue to shift and evolve with the passage of time.