In 2018 too, we headed to “Geisai.”
It hardly needs saying that Geisai is the school festival of Tokyo University of the Arts, open to the public. Held annually in early September, it is a well-known event that draws large crowds.
The main visual is by Rino Taguchi, a second-year student in the Design department. Theme: “Flush.”
Painting Building
Geisai takes place across the various buildings and facilities of the university, and its scale is not that of an exhibition you can walk through in an hour or two. The music, the fine arts, the sheer breadth of what “art” can be — you come away struck by it all. It’s a volume that makes you wonder whether you could possibly see everything in a single day.
This article covers the painting field within the fine arts, held at the Painting Building of the Faculty of Fine Arts. For coverage of the other areas, please see the article below.
Yuki Shiraishi, “Stillness,” 2018. A work wrapped in a strange atmosphere. The unnaturally reserved space invites the imagination.Yuki Kawano, “Kabukimono (Free Spirit),” 2018. The way this work is assembled is well done.Momoko Yamada, “Untitled,” 2018. The uncanny use of color captures the eye.A scene on campus.A work by Kotao Kotori. The slick, slippery texture feels remarkably real.Hatsuho Kosaka, “Horse Mackerel and Mirror.” So intriguing!Hinako Sugiyama, “Untitled.” Look closely and braille is inscribed on it….Yuta Fukazawa was also a big presence at the Art Market.Moe Shimada, “living.” She gets better every time I see her work.Satoshi Noguchi, “untitled” @ White Base 3 exhibition.Harumi Osawa, “View in the Mirror of the Pool.” A work whose maker you recognize at a glance — as good as ever.Emi Hatano, “Chili Pepper,” “Saturday Breakfast,” “Alocasia,” “Ame-chan.” When it comes to painting rabbits — this is the artist!Keisuke Tawara, “With the River at My Back, Belly Toward the Sea I·II — Tales of a Bright Future.” A curious piece.Kenta Kawabata, a heavyweight who has already held solo shows.Shoko Yui, “Season of the Palm.” A ring, perhaps? Like her paintings I’ve seen before, it sparkles and shines.Misa Tsuetani, “Misa, Are You There?” A work that draws you in.Akina Mihara, “hollow.” A mysterious work. Balance seems to reside within the imbalance.Sanami Shimada, “LOVELESS.” My impression is of an artist with a world of her own.
Wrap-Up
This year’s works felt somehow smaller in scale — I found myself wishing for pieces that broke through more dramatically.
The showcase by the First Japanese Painting Studio, held concurrently at the Chinretsukan and the Masaki Memorial Hall, also felt a bit like acorns in a row — a lineup of works with little to distinguish them.
The pieces we introduced here are those that showed promise among the field. I look forward to the artists’ future works.
We visited Geisai 2019 as well.
Please see the article below.
