art on picks: Exhibition BEST 10 — Q1 2018 (January–March)

2018 April–June “Exhibition Best 10” Feature

In the first three months of 2018, I had the chance to encounter truly fascinating exhibitions across a wide range of genres.

From large museums to small galleries, there were many encounters with works and artists.

I will also do an annual round-up, but I wanted to organize things quarter by quarter, so here is my “Exhibition Best 10.”

1) Morikazu Kumagai: The Joy of Life

First and foremost, Morikazu Kumagai’s retrospective “The Joy of Life” was a magnificent exhibition.

Kumagai’s artistic life was laid out chronologically, making for a rewarding viewing experience, and I came to appreciate how his work grew ever more distilled and refined as he aged. As the show moved into its latter half, the quality of the work became almost unbelievable, and I was deeply moved. Kumagai, you are simply incredible!

2) Yoshitomo Nara: Drawings: 1988-2018 Last 30 Years

Yoshitomo Nara is a top-tier contemporary artist. His signature drawings were arranged in chronological order, and with the unpretentious presentation so characteristic of Nara, the gallery was made into a comfortable space. As viewers, we were given a space where we could linger at ease and take in the works.

At the same time, the temptation of “I’d love to own one if I could!” rapidly deflated the moment I learned the prices. How sad (;_;)

Will the day ever come when I can acquire one…?

3) Makoto Aida: GROUND NO PLAN

“GROUND NO PLAN” was a quintessentially Makoto Aida exhibition, a mix of candor, irony, and jokes. When a veteran artist shows this much seriousness, what will younger artists think, and how will they respond?

4) Atsushi Kaga: The Search For Languorous Magic

Being his first solo show in Japan, Atsushi Kaga’s exhibition opened while his name recognition here was still low. It was my first time seeing his work as well. The thought that, had it been an unknown gallery, I might never have encountered it in my lifetime was a little frightening. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime meeting.

The works, with their distinctive characters and the cleverness of the written text messages, are wonderfully cool and stimulate our imagination. It is a shame that his track record abroad makes the prices high, but I felt he is an artist from whom we can expect a great deal more activity.

5) Ai Kumehara — “Kochifukaba,” “Utakata no Niwa,” “Ume to Sakura no Ada Kurabe”

Centering on works depicting plum blossoms, Kumehara has also been expanding into portraits of young women.

She is a highly sought-after, popular artist who, at this peak moment, ran three exhibitions back-to-back from January to March 2018. I want to keep an eye on her activities after spring ends as well.

6) The Kiyoshi Koizumi Collection

Speaking of collector exhibitions, Makoto Sasa’s “Shutoko (Metropolitan Expressway)” show held last December was memorable, but the collection of Kiyoshi Koizumi selected this time proved to have a formidable presence. Though the number of works was small, within the theme of the “female nude,” carefully chosen major pieces and three-dimensional works were on display. Thanks to the exquisite curation of the collection, the gallery space seemed wrapped in a crisp, taut tension.

7) Yasutomo Oka: 3rd Self-Selected New Works Exhibition

Yasutomo Oka, whose meticulous bijinga (paintings of beautiful women) have spread on Twitter and been featured even on terrestrial television.

Although the solo show was held not long after he opened his Twitter account, the small venue was so popular that someone was always there. Inside the gallery it was as if real beauties had gathered all in one place, and the air was thick with atmosphere. Getting to know the personality of Oka, who was present at the gallery throughout the run, this became memorable as one of the most pleasant exhibitions.

8) Natsumi Tomita: Nakazuri no Hibi

Natsumi Tomita’s solo exhibition “Nakazuri no Hibi,” held at Galerie Tokyo Humanité, was simply an otherworldly space. It was an extraordinary sight: figures sculpted from newspaper in a white-cube gallery, every one of them gripping a train strap. On top of that, everything was unified in monochrome, giving me the sensation of having tripped into another dimension.

9) 3331 ART FAIR

“3331 ART FAIR,” a satellite program of Art Fair Tokyo 2018, showed considerable excitement, I think.

The link below is for the rooftop program, but around 3331 Arts Chiyoda there were flea markets and the like, bustling with everyone from children to adults, and I was able to witness up close the image of art taking root among the general public.

10) Leandro Erlich: Seeing and Believing

Realized as a program of the Mori Art Museum, the Leandro Erlich exhibition “Seeing and Believing” was a fun, participatory event. It is surely through programs like this that people come to feel a familiarity with works of art.