Nakazawa Ryuji, Clouds at Dusk, 2023, Oil on canvas, 53 x 45.5cm Courtesy of Nakazawa Ryuji Artist Studio ©VIVIAN CHOI GALLERYVIVIAN CHOI GALLERY presents “See You on the Other Side”, a collective exhibition by three Japanese artists, Wada Chizu, Okumura Aka, and Nakazawa Ryuji, through March 23.
In this exhibition, motifs from classical Japanese art, such as Ukiyoe prints are converted into modern graphics, and inspiration from Japanese popular culture, manga (Japanese cartoon), and Western impressionism and pop art are presented.
For the new generation of Japanese born after the 1980s, inward escapism was a means of active resistance against the stagnant national economy and the rigid social structure that defined Japan in the second half of the 20th century. This generation’s culture reflects an interest in cartoonish and surreal characters due to the proliferation of comics and computer games. The characters appearing in the works of the artists in this exhibition, who are in their 20s, 30s and mid-40s, remain in childhood rather than growing into adulthood, which can be equated with the resistance of the previous generation, the antipathy toward consciously enforced social conformity, and the resulting loneliness. This can be interpreted as an artistic and cultural rebellion against the previous generation.
Chizu Wada’s artistic practice is centered on engaging with the viewer’s perception to unveil the deceptive nature of cute images and exploring the idea of pursuing the utopia, the imaginary childhood that she never actually had. Chizu Wada explores issues such as loneliness, isolation and, spirituality by featuring innocent girls and animal figures in a cartoonish manner. Wada currently lives and works in Kyoto presenting numerous solo and group exhibitions in Japan, and Hong Kong.
Tokyo-based artist Nakazawa Ryuji’s works are mixtures of familiar scenery and everyday experiences with the contents of fantasy and colorful explorations into the depths of imagination. His reminiscent paintings echo visual poem between splendor and isolation. Ryuji studied painting at Musashino Art University, a prestigious art school in Japan, and has been active in solo and group exhibitions in Japan, mainly in Tokyo.
Aka Okumura explores the spiritual aspect of life and death by contrasting the two different worlds through vibrant symbols and black background. Okumura’s work reinterprets death as a natural cycle of life and a rebirth by depicting the existence of an immortal girl in a world that continues to evolve in the cycle of life and death. The beauty of Okumura’s art lies in a distinct blend of traditional Japanese visual elements and cultural influences with a modern, pop-culture influenced aesthetic. She appropriates traditional Japanese imagery from Ukiyo-e prints, the genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Based in Kyoto, Aka Okumura has had more than 20 solo and group exhibitions in Japan, Hong Kong, and China, and has exhibited at ART CENTRAL HK in 2023 and JINGART in 2022.
