Geisai 2019
In 2019 as well, we headed to “Geisai.”
Needless to say, this is the culture festival of Tokyo University of the Arts, with the campus open to the public. Held annually in early September, it is a famous event that draws large crowds.
This year’s Geisai was somewhat unusual, with a typhoon approaching on day three—resulting in an enormous crowd on day two.
Painting Building
Geisai is held across various buildings and facilities within Geidai, and is not a compact event that you can walk through in one or two hours like a typical museum exhibition. Displays fill classrooms and studios throughout multiple buildings on such a scale that seeing everything in a single day is questionable.
This article introduces the painting section of the fine arts field—held in the Painting Building of the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Our 2018 coverage is summarized below.
Kotao Marion Anna Tomozawa
Kotao, who was also a member of the idol group “Avandoned.” Her Slime series—exhibited at Geisai 2018 as well—made a return appearance.
Minori Kikuoka
Minori Kikuoka’s works, which have long left a vague impression of being “gentle paintings.”
Kenta Kawabata
Reliable as always, Kawabata presented a small work depicting a man and woman facing each other.
Yumeno Goto
Goto, who was also exhibiting concurrently at the “Hyakki Yagyo Exhibition” at Geidai Art Plaza. A fully developed painterly skill.
Moeko Suzuki
Moeko Suzuki, whom we had been watching since the third-year exhibition. Excellent!
Shimon Matsumori
The smooth matière is delightful and refreshing.
Mitsumi Nakamura
The rendering of light is beautiful. A touch of Oscar Oiwa’s atmosphere.
Sawako Nasu
It’s the framing that makes it interesting, perhaps.
Daichi Igarashi
As skilled as ever.
Kenta Takahashi
A third-year student of Japanese painting.
Amid all the acorn-style Japanese-painting student works, his stood out. He is developing two series: portrait works and works connected to street art. Exhibition opportunities outside the school are apparently also planned. One to watch.
AHMED MANNAN
The imposingly named “AHMED MANNAN” presented an oil painting rendered on a large, vertically oriented canvas. A first-year oil-painting student—an unforgettable work.
Yosuke Yamanouchi
A surrealist work. Skillfully executed, with technique that shines through.
Aki Moriyama
Moriyama is already fully formed as an artist, so there is nothing but a sense of assurance.
Rui Yamagata
From “Floating Metamorphosis,” Rui Yamagata’s “Gravity of the Painting, Buoyancy of the Word.”
A student with a substantial off-campus exhibition record. The small portrait works were particularly memorable.
Hinako Suda
Hinako Suda, a first-year student with a solo exhibition already to her name.
She has drawn attention among fellow collectors. Since she still has plenty of room to grow, some have voiced a wish to observe her a bit longer.
Tatsuho Yoshida
Tatsuho Yoshida’s “New Translation Fudoki Collection” series was also memorable.
Viewing it, I recalled that Naoya Inose had a series of this sort as well.
Rintaro Kageyama
A work I liked. The paint seems to rejoice in its own beautiful color.
Kazuma Yamamoto
I found myself lingering over it for some time. There is a mysterious appeal.
Works you never tire of viewing carry real force.
Marina Watanabe
A work depicting a mysterious scene. Faint human figures are drawn on the seesaw.
Beauty and mystery coexist.
This year, too, was a Geisai in which we encountered new talent.
We were also able to speak properly with the artists we’ve been following. Thank you.
