[Art Fair Tokyo 2019] Meguru Yamaguchi @ Seibu & Sogo

Crossing

Newly introduced at Art Fair Tokyo 2019 was an area called “Crossing.”
One of the department-store art galleries that Naohiko Kishi, Executive Producer of Art Fair Tokyo, “specifically asked to participate” was Seibu & Sogo, who staged a joint exhibition of three street-scene artists.

All three are artists active overseas — calligraphy legend Faust; Joshua Vides, whose new-style work comes out of the LA streets; and Meguru Yamaguchi, who is developing a distinctive brushstroke style in New York. In this article we introduce the Japanese artist Meguru Yamaguchi.

Meguru Yamaguchi

Meguru Yamaguchi is a Japanese artist based in New York. A street-scene artist without an art-school background.
He has been active in corporate collaborations including UNIQLO and Issey Miyake, and is a rapidly rising artist right now.

Installation view at NIKE KICKS LOUNGE (Omotesando, Tokyo), on show January–February 2019

Inside the Art Fair Tokyo 2019 venue, his booth was in the most prominent spot as visitors approached from Yurakucho Station. Many passersby must have been drawn in by these works. The presentation centered on his signature series, .

Meguru Yamaguchi, "OUT OF BOUNDS NO.78," 2,400,000 yen — Meguru Yamaguchi, “OUT OF BOUNDS NO.78,” 2,400,000 yen

Because the display prioritized location, the lighting environment was unfortunately not ideal.
Even so, the works had tremendous impact — they were splendid.

Meguru Yamaguchi, "OUT OF BOUNDS NO.78" (detail) — Meguru Yamaguchi, “OUT OF BOUNDS NO.78” (detail)

Meguru Yamaguchi Left: "MOBIUS NO.2" Right: "MOBIUS NO.4" 1,200,000 yen each — Meguru Yamaguchi Left: “MOBIUS NO.2” Right: “MOBIUS NO.4” 1,200,000 yen each

Meguru Yamaguchi, "MOBIUS NO.3" — Meguru Yamaguchi, “MOBIUS NO.3”

"OUT OF BOUNDS NO.90" — “OUT OF BOUNDS NO.90”

The surface is built up from thickly applied acrylic paint coated with epoxy resin, giving a remarkable matière

Meguru Yamaguchi, "MOBIUS NO.1," 2,200,000 yen — Meguru Yamaguchi, “MOBIUS NO.1,” 2,200,000 yen

The works were flown in from New York. Looking closely at the larger pieces, you can see seams — they are put together and hung when installed.

Meguru Yamaguchi, "MOBIUS NO.1" (detail).A work with a horizontal seam. It's simply too large for transport in one piece — a… — Meguru Yamaguchi, “MOBIUS NO.1” (detail).
A work with a horizontal seam. It’s simply too large for transport in one piece — an unavoidable measure, no doubt.

The works were entirely sold out before the fair even opened — that’s how popular they are.
Prices ran from 800,000 to 900,000 yen for smaller pieces, with the larger works priced above 2,000,000 yen — a high-end range.
Given that Yamaguchi has a long waiting list of clients, this is hardly surprising, but as we viewed the works, we couldn’t help wishing there were a slightly more accessible price range.

Overview

Art Fair Tokyo 2019

Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Hall E
Dates: March 7 (Thu) – March 10 (Sun), 2019 — 4 days (last admission 30 minutes before closing each day)
Press view: March 7 (Thu) 13:00–14:00
Private view: March 7 (Thu) 14:00–16:00
Vernissage: March 7 (Thu) 16:00–20:00
Public view: March 8 (Fri) & 9 (Sat) 11:00–20:00; March 10 (Sun) 11:00–17:00
Admission: Advance ticket / 1DAY passport 4,000 yen (tax incl.); on-the-day ticket / 1DAY passport 5,000 yen (tax incl.) (Free for elementary school students and younger when accompanied by an adult)