Seikosha is hosting a talk event for Raphaël Zarka, a French artist who, as of April, is currently in residence at Villa Kujoyama in Kyoto.

Based in Paris, Zarka explores various forms in his works, such as painting, sculpture, text, and printing, through his own cognitive methodology which is inspired by the artistic expression of different eras and regions and an interest in archaeology and art history. Zarka’s three text publications and visual book, “Riding Modern Art” (B42), which explore the relationship of public art and the body in cities using the skateboard as a key theme, are examples of Zarka’s cognitive practice which utilizes his own methodology.

Zarka was interviewed in his atelier in Paris for Subsequence vol.7, published in 2024, where he spoke at length about how he became an artist, his thoughts regarding the relationship between geometry and urban spaces, and how that affects his production process.

At the event, Kako Nagai, a curator who interviewed Zarka, and Kosuke Ide, editor in chief of Subsequence Magazine, will be talking to Zarka about his expectations for his four-month research trip in Kyoto and his production process while based in Japan.

Raphaël Zarka
Graduated from Winchester School of Art and École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris. From 2010 to 2011, he was in residency at Villa Medici, Rome. He has been working as a sculptor and in related fields for the past two decades. In addition to sculpture and other three-dimensional works, his artistic practice is wide-ranging, including painting, photography, drawing, publishing, and video production. He has published three essay collections about skateboards and spaces with Éditions B42. His work utilises his research into the use of geometry in art, science, and technology. His interest and research into movement has resulted in various experimental sculptures such as Cycloïde Piazza (Centre Pompidou, 2024). He is currently preparing for a PhD through programs related to radians (a unit of angular measurement in mathematics and programming) at École Supérieure d’Arts & Médias de Caen/Cherbourg and University of Caen in Normandy.

Photo: Maxime Verret

Date: April 16, 2026
Start Time: 19:00
Venue: Seikosha
Capacity: 25
Fee: 1,500 yen + 1 drink order
Tickets: Purchase from Seikosha’s website

https://www.seikosha-books.com/