By Shan Yang
Taiwan has long shared a unique emotional and aesthetic connection with contemporary Japanese art. At art fairs, Japanese exhibitors consistently attract significant interest, captivating the discerning eyes of Taiwanese collectors. Spanning from intricate printmaking and model design to grand oil paintings and sculptures, the work of Japanese artists never fails to enchant Taiwan's art community. These annual events become more than just exhibitions; they are recurring opportunities that deepen and sustain the emotional bonds between Japanese galleries and Taiwanese collectors.
ART TAIPEI 2023 is set to be a grand affair, featuring a stellar lineup of 35 Japanese galleries. This year's showcase from Japan is a kaleidoscope of artistic ingenuity, offering a carefully curated spectrum of works that span from iconic post-war avant-garde creations to manga-infused pieces suffused with youthful exuberance. The event will also spotlight an array of contemporary works that give new life to traditional Japanese aesthetics, as well as pieces suffused with a nuanced freshness, capturing the essence of daily life and the natural world. Adding a playful complexity to the artistic tableau are three-dimensional installations that weave together innovative technologies and various media.
Overall, the selection predominantly features works by cutting-edge artists who are shaping Japan's current cultural zeitgeist. This selection illuminates the concerted efforts of Japanese exhibitors in promoting these emerging talents on the international stage. Further, there's a palpable intent to engage with a newer generation of collectors.
A view of Yayoi Kusama's exhibition in ART TAIPEI 1998. (photo courtesy of ART TAIPEI)
A view of Gallery Tsubaki in ART TAIPEI 2022. (photo courtesy of ART TAIPEI)
This article begins by exploring the growing prominence of contemporary Japanese art within Taiwan's vibrant artistic world, serving as a prelude to the grand tapestry of this year's art fair.
Not Just Art Fairs! The Dynamic Presence of Contemporary Japanese Art in Taiwan's Art World
A view of “Izumi Kato: The Asia Art Center Collection”. (photo courtesy of the Asia Art Center)
Art enthusiasts following the art market closely have likely observed Japan's consistent presence in the heart of East Asian contemporary art, especially in major international and Taiwanese auctions." This was exemplified in the large-scale paintings by Yoshitomo Nara and the iconic entangled black wire sculptures by Chiharu Shiota, both of which made striking appearances at the preview exhibitions of the recently concluded Phillips and Poly Auction Preview in Taipei in mid-September.
Taiwanese galleries have long been prolific venues for showcasing Japanese art, a tradition that continues unabated. This year alone has seen an eclectic array of exhibitions, each orchestrated with meticulous care. Red Gold Fine Art presented a dual artist exhibition entitled "A Bird in its Existence: Kazumi Nakamura and Impermanence: Yukie Ishikawa," while Asia Art Center unveiled "The Izumi Kato Collection." Hiro Hiro Art Space graced the summer with "EGUCHI Ayane: Sugar-coated Landscape" and Aki Gallery offered an intimate look at the oeuvre of Satoru Koizumi with "Portraits 100 Years On."
Moreover, beginning last year, Taipei has seen the emergence of niche galleries focusing on Japanese contemporary art, such as YANG ARTS. Intriguingly, a trend has also been set in motion for collaborative art exhibitions between Taiwanese galleries and Japanese cultural entities. This includes joint ventures like 'IGNITION' by 333 Gallery and ArtSticker, "IMAGRATION" by Each Modern and Gallery COMMON, as well as "LOOPHOLE" by GALERIE OVO and Paichu Gallery. These innovative partnerships offer a platform for young contemporary artists from both Taiwan and Japan to garner recognition. Collectively, these burgeoning phenomena continue to fuel the sustained influence of Japanese contemporary art in Taiwan's ever-evolving artistic milieu.
Spotlight on Exhibition Highlights!
A Feast for the Senses: Japanese Galleries Take Over 25% of ART TAIPEI
ART TAIPEI 2023 boasts a lineup in which nearly a quarter of the exhibitors are Japanese galleries, marking a significant expansion of 15 additional galleries compared to last year. Included among them are leading Japanese galleries featured in the "ART MARKET 2023" list, organized by Japan's "OIL MAGAZINE”. Notable participants include CHANGTING GALLERY, Gallery Tsubaki, Tomio Koyama Gallery, and YOD Gallery. This provides audiences an unparalleled window into the latest artistic trends emanating from Japan. This robust participation not only underscores the burgeoning art exchanges between the two regions but also reveals the high regard in which Japanese galleries hold the latent art-consuming potential of Taiwanese collectors.
After perusing the pre-released content from Japanese exhibitors, the author has curated a selection of unmissable stylistic masterpieces. The goal is to offer aficionados of Japanese contemporary art a concise and illuminating guide to this visual feast.
A view of YOD Gallery in ART TAIPEI 2022. (photo courtesy of ART TAIPEI)
The Evolving Tapestry of Classics and Animation and Manga Trends
Contrastingly, this year's ART TAIPEI, while still featuring classics like the Gutai (Gutai Art Association) works of Tsuyoshi Maekawa at the Whitestone Gallery, shows a noticeable decline in post-war avant-garde pieces. Meanwhile, the realms of manga and Superflat are also represented, albeit with a palpable shift towards the "bishoujo" style. Included are artists like Azusa Nozawa, presented by Medel Gallery Shu, whose teary-eyed, youthful female portraits have reportedly caught the eye and collection of Takashi Murakami. YOD Gallery, on the other hand, is introducing the beguiling works of Mifuu Oda, whose textured, acrylic-scraped portraits of ethereal young women are also well-received.
Azusa NOZAWA, "Portrait no.42/43_cw", 91×72.7 cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2022. (photo courtesy of Medel Gallery Shu)
Reimagining the Essence of Japanese Traditional Aesthetics
Steeped in a history rich with tradition, Japanese contemporary artists are ingeniously revitalizing age-old crafts to create works that are both cross-generational and ornately decorative. For instance, on display at Galerie Nichido is Ken Yashiki's work that employs Edo-period textile art "Kimekomi" to depict modern Japanese fashion icons. Likewise, Gallery Kunimatsu Aoyama spotlights Mouri Miho, an artist whose work inherits the traditional painting themes of "Insects by Pond Side" of Ito Jakuchu and the "Vegetable and Insect Illustrations" of Suzuki Kiitsu in the Edo-era. Employing a luscious palette of mineral pigments, acrylics, and Japanese paper, the artist reinterprets these timeless themes to create vivid and colorful still lifes of fruits and vegetables.
Ken Yashiki, "FS KGRIND", 124×109×5.5cm, 2023. (photo courtesy of Galerie Nichido)
Miho MOURI, "Everyday, in my kitchen", 97×193.9 cm, mineral pigment, acrylic on Japanese paper, 2021. (photo courtesy of Gallery KUNIMATSU Aoyama)
Artwork Full of the Essence of Daily Scenery and Natural Aroma
Situated within a society in flux, Japanese artists have turned their lens toward the nuanced observation of "everyday scenery." Featured at TEZUKAYAMA GALLERY, young artist Saya Mimura melds painting with screen printing techniques. Employing understated hues and delicate lines, she constructs scenes that capture fleeting moments of luminous beauty, allowing time to flow in tranquil elegance.
Also capturing attention is the esteemed Tomio Koyama Gallery, a favorite among Taiwanese collectors, which this time presents the watercolor works of Yoshino Masui. The gallery continues to showcase works of delicate sensitivity that encapsulate the artist's emotional landscape. Masui's painting, "Midnight Oasis," offers a tapestry of layered richness and gentle healing, portraying a mythic world filled with natural elements and animals. This painting is sure to be a highlight of this year's sales.
Works related to "Nature" or "Life Force" also serve as a thematic axis for Japanese galleries this time around. Beyond that, we encounter in BAMI Gallery the artistry of Kamasho, who portrays animals perched atop melting ice cream - a metaphoric expression of how humanity ought to coexist with nature.
Saya MIMURA, "Spring", 38 × 45.5 cm, Acrylic, silkscreen and mixed technique on panel, 2021. (photo courtesy of Tezukayama Gallery)
Yoshino MASUI, "Midnight Oasis", 65.2 x 50.0 cm, Watercolor on paper mounted on panel, 2009. (photo courtesy of Tomio Koyama Gallery)
A New and Refreshing Style in the Making
This time, Japanese galleries also present a plethora of works that endeavor to transcend conventional boundaries, offering fresh aesthetic perspectives.
As for paintings, Contemporary HEIS introduces the strikingly expansive "Destroyer" by Hal Matsuda, a recent laureate of Japan's gateway honor for emerging artists, the "Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi 2023." Matsuda employs 3D body scanning and VR technology to metamorphose human forms into abstract images that oscillate between the real and the virtual. On the sculptural front, Yuki Matsueda of Shinseido captivates the audience with his whimsical three-dimensional installations, conjured from a myriad of composite media, including figures humorously bursting out of emergency exit signs.
Hal MATSUDA, "Destroyer", 194 x 345 x 4 cm, Silkscreen, acrylic, oil on linen, canvas, 2023. (photo courtesy of Contemporary HEIS)
Yuki MATSUEDA, “This is EXIT”, 21 x 42 x 21 cm, Acrylic, Wood, LED, PET, 2023. (photo courtesy of SHINSEIDO)
Overall, the array of works presented by the Japanese galleries at this exhibition enables audiences to reacquaint themselves with the current state of contemporary Japanese art from multiple perspectives. Notably, the burgeoning trend among Taiwanese collectors for Japanese art can also be observed through the pieces highlighted by other exhibitors. The international Opera Gallery showcases Yayoi Kusama's eye-catching yellow pumpkin relief sculptures, while Hong Kong's GUAN ZHI TANG (ADMIRA Gallery) offers spray paintings in primary colors by Tomoya Tsukamoto. From Taiwan, Donna Art presents Keita Sagaki's intricate classical still lifes composed of minute comic imagery that command one’s attention, and Hann Art Agency Co. displays Yasuko Hayashi’s elegant snowscape gouaches. All of them enthusiastically echo the current collecting trend.
Keita Sagaki, “Bloom II”, 41x51 cm, Pencil, paper, wood, 2023. (photo courtesy of Donna Art)
Conclusion
In recent years, Japan has also stepped into the spotlight of hosting grand art expositions, encompassing earlier showcases like TOKYO GENDAI and ART OSAKA, as well as the upcoming Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK) following ART TAIPEI 2023 in autumn, and the collaborative ART WEEK TOKYO with Art Basel - all contributing to the flourishing landscape of contemporary Japanese art. For Taiwanese audiences, ART TAIPEI 2023 remains a crucial cultural bridge between Taiwan and Japan, providing direct access to information from the Japanese art world, eliminating the need for overseas travel.. We cordially invite those who wish to delve deeper, start collecting, and gradually immerse themselves in the ceremonious baptism of Japanese aesthetic culture through this unique opportunity.