[Ota Fine Arts Tokyo] islands: Akira the Hustler, Masanori Handa, Tomoko Kashiki, Hiraki Sawa, Nobuaki Takekawa, Tang Dixin, Yuken Teruya

The floating mobile artwork "Individualists" by Akira the Huslter is based on a work that was created as a project to support a friend who had suffered from an illness. While Akira’s artist activities have been limited by COVID-19, he ruminated not only over his friend’s plight but also over the political situation. While there are many conflicts happening in Japan and around the world, Akira hopes that even if we cannot be on one big boat, each individual can aim for the same rainbow by rowing their own small boats.

Born and raised in Kyoto, Tomoko Kashiki is influenced by Buddhist paintings and Bijin-ga in the Heian period, and she creates a fantastic atmosphere in her paintings that is reminiscent of a daydream. In her pencil drawings, the delicacy of details such as facial expressions, folds of clothes, and wood grain on the floor stands out even more than the large paintings she mainly produces. In addition, the vibrant colors of the colored pencils that are used in partial areas give a breathtaking effect to the world of her ephemeral-looking works.

In the "NEWMAN" drawing series made in 2019, Masanori Handa depicts his alter ego, Kuroko (a black figure), in various scenes, such as a hot spring or looking at his installation work. In comparison to Handa's earlier drawing series which was influenced by the palindromic songs of the Muromachi Period, this NEWMAN series of drawings are clearly different with the distinctive presence of the figure. The title also suggests that Handa is heading towards a new phase in his creation.