Hana Akiyama Exhibition “THE WISDOM OF YOU”
Guardian Garden presents the 49th installment of its “The Second Stage at GG” series with the Hana Akiyama exhibition “THE WISDOM OF YOU.”
This series introduces the subsequent activities of selected participants from open-call exhibitions held at Guardian Garden.
Hana Akiyama was chosen as a finalist at the 25th Graphic Art “Hitotsubo Exhibition” for her poster works that combine hand-drawn illustrations into collages imbued with a unique narrative quality. She has since gained widespread recognition through numerous awards and exhibitions, and today works as an illustrator focused on books, magazines, CDs, and advertisements. In 2014 she received the Silver Prize at the New York ADC Awards. She currently contributes serialized illustrations to magazines such as “Kurashi no Techo” and “tocotoco.”
Now the mother of a two-year-old son, Hana Akiyama continues her creative practice while raising her child. This exhibition presents illustration works inspired by her own experience of parenthood, exploring themes such as everyday questions, discoveries, anxieties, and joys.
The “reading” series, depicting a young boy and newly created for this exhibition, portrays the moment when a person encounters a book and is drawn into the world of its story.
These illustrations of a boy trying to think and understand things on his own, without being taught, powerfully convey the unique creativity of children — warm and gentle in touch, yet somehow fantastical and at times even cruel.
An animation work, hand-drawn frame by frame, depicting a crow flying to various places while continuously changing the colors of its body, is also on view.
The exhibition also includes client work for MUJI, IDÉE, and the magazine “Kurashi no Techo,” among others. We hope you will enjoy this gathering of Akiyama’s diverse output all in one place.
Becoming a mother was a little different from what I had imagined. I never expected that the growth of a single boy could be so fascinating, charming, strange, and so profoundly stimulating to me. Alongside my work today, a boy is living with all his might. And every day, I observe him.
Inspired by his enviable curiosity and boyish spirit, my drive to create has grown stronger than before. So many questions posed, discoveries, anxieties, complexities — and development that races along at astonishing speed.
Holding on to answers that have no correct solution, thinking things through, I have carefully finished each illustration one by one. Past works are also included in the exhibition.
Hana Akiyama
Overview
The Second Stage at GG #49
Hana Akiyama Exhibition “THE WISDOM OF YOU”
Venue: Guardian Garden
Dates: Tue. October 23 – Fri. November 16, 2018
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays and public holidays. Admission free.
