Exhibition Information

Shoji Asami 21.1.17
2021 oil on acrylic box 104.6 ×104.6 × 5 cm
(Source = Gana Art)

Kashiki Tomoko Stuffed Toys and floral pillow
2019 Acrylic, linen, wooden panel 122 x 190 cm
Copyright of Tomoko Kashiki, Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts

Kawauchi Rikako Grapfruit
2023 Oil on canvas 194 x 259 cm
©︎Rikako Kawauchi, courtesy of the artist and WAITINGROOM Photo by Shintaro Yamanaka (Qsyum!)

Aoki Ryoko U the S/11. 労働について
2006-2023 Ink and ballpoint pen on paper, collage 62.3 x 47.2 x 2 cm
©︎ Ryoko Aoki Courtesy of Take Ninagawa, Tokyo Photo by Kei Okano

			curated by Tsubaki Reiko(Curator, Mori Art Museum)

This group exhibition spotlights on Japanese female artists renowned for their figurative and abstract expressions of themes such as body, mind (emotions), and gender. These themes have gained increasing significance in contemporary society due to the active digitalization of various fields.

In today’s society, where communication channels like email, online meetings, and social media shape interactions, individuals often unconsciously project varied facets of themselves through different platforms. In such situations, the body plays a crucial role in defining one’s individuality, serving as a tangible embodiment of a person’s existence. Each individual’s physical habits, such as their smile, the way they eat, and their manner of walking, as well as activities like singing or dancing, all serve as expressions of one’s uniqueness, as physicality itself embodies a person’s individuality.

In many aspects of daily life and work, we encounter situations that require scientific and rational judgment. In cases where we need to make decisions based on vast amounts of information, emotionless artificial intelligence (AI) might be suitable. However, humans are inherently emotional creatures, feeling a spectrum such as affection, anger, sadness, compassion, fear, or even disguised indifference. In new situations, we may feel astonishment, joy, or fear. These emotional responses are what fundamentally define our humanity.

Furthermore, gender is a subject that is actively discussed in a society that values diversity. The physicality of women has taken on semiotic meanings beyond mere physical existence. However, recent social conditions suggest that the gender gap between men and women is ostensibly narrowing. Within the context of sexual minorities, queer, and cyborg feminism, there appears to be less pressure for individuals to conform to traditional gender norms.

Through this exhibition, the artists will suggest a liberated mode of existence, where they freely express the body and symbolic landscapes, offering a liberated way of existing that transcends conventional frameworks.

(Source = Gana Art)