PRESS - 2025.01.23
“Brighten the New Year with Art: The 7 Best Artsy Spots in Tokyo” —January 2025—
This year, a host of exhibitions and events featuring works by domestic and international artists invite visitors to experience art in a variety of forms. Why not start 2025 on an artistic note?
In this article, we focus on two themes— “Fusion of Traditional Techniques and Art: A Reinterpretation of Timeless Expressions” and “The Gift of Modern Technology: Exploring the Potential of Art in a New Era” —and introduce exhibitions and events selected around these concepts. From witnessing how age-old craftsmanship, deeply rooted in people’s lives and culture, breathes new life into contemporary art, to sensing the impact of advancing science and technology on artistic expression, there’s much to discover. Among the highlights, the National Museum of Western Art is currently hosting “Monet: The Late Waterscapes”, which lets you experience the world of light and nature conjured by Claude Monet, one of the most beloved Impressionist painters worldwide.
At the Shoto Museum of Art, the “Suda Yoshihiro” exhibition surprises viewers with exquisitely detailed sculptures of natural forms found in everyday life.
Meanwhile, in a rare green oasis within Tokyo—and with the main building itself designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan—the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is featuring “Wonderment Noe Aoki / Ritsue Mishima.” This exhibition spotlights two artists who create work using materials—such as iron and glass—that have long been part of people’s daily lives.
The distinctive style of Kei Imazu involves painting in oil based on sketches processed and composed using data from digital media through an app. Her captivating work can be explored in-depth in both “Kei Imazu Tanah Air” at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery and “Kei Imazu Exhibition” at UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX. Additionally, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo is hosting “Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time,” a large-scale retrospective for the world-famous musician and artist known for his multimedia live installations. These, along with our very own auction featuring an excellent lineup of contemporary artworks, form a stellar array of must-see exhibitions for your art-filled itinerary.
Table of Contents
1. “Fusion of Traditional Techniques and Art: A Reinterpretation of Timeless Expressions”
1) The National Museum of Western Art, “Monet: The Late Waterscapes”
2) The Shoto Museum of Art, the “Suda Yoshihiro” exhibition
3) Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, “Wonderment Noe Aoki / Ritsue Mishima”
2. “The Gift of Modern Technology: Exploring the Potential of Art in a New Era”
1) Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery “Kei Imazu Tanah Air”
2) UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX “Kei Imazu Exhibition”
3) Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, “Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time”
4) SBI Art Auction “The 69th SBI Art Auction | Modern and Contemporary Art”
1. “Fusion of Traditional Techniques and Art: A Reinterpretation of Timeless Expressions”
Below are exhibitions that illuminate how traditional craftsmanship, long interwoven with people’s lives and culture, brings forth a new vitality in contemporary art. Whether in oil painting, wood carving, architecture, or the use of materials like iron and glass, classical techniques evolve from mere craft to new expressions that unite the artist’s individual style with the spirit of the times, generating fresh value.
1) The National Museum of Western Art, “Monet: The Late Waterscapes” (Saturday, October 5, 2024 - Tuesday, February 11, 2025)
From October 2024, the National Museum of Western Art presents “Monet: The Late Waterscapes”, a grand-scale exhibition showcasing Claude Monet—one of the most prominent Impressionist painters, who remains extremely popular in Japan. This remarkable lineup features about 50 masterpieces, including works from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris—the largest collection of Monet’s works in the world— many of which are being exhibited in Japan for the very first time. Alongside these international treasures, the exhibition also features renowned paintings from various prestigious Japanese collections, offering a truly unmissable cultural experience.
After exploring Monet’s London scenes and views along the Seine, the exhibition moves on to the period when he turned to the subject of water and flowers in his iconic “Water Lilies” series. In the midst of numerous hardships, Monet embarked on the monumental endeavor known as Grande Décoration, planning to cover an entire room with massive panels depicting his water-lily pond. Despite cataracts that altered his color perception in his later years, the exhibition highlights his steadfast creative drive, refined sense of color, and experimental spirit. Monet’s unwavering determination in the face of adversity was not only a bold challenge to the established painting techniques of his era, but the gently oscillating surfaces of his water-lily pond— “a symphony of color”—continue to inspire and resonate with today’s audiences.
2) The Shoto Museum of Art, the “Suda Yoshihiro” exhibition (Saturday, November 30, 2024 – Sunday, February 2, 2025)
Left: Suda Yoshihiro, Suzumeuri, 2024, Painted on wood, collection of the artist ©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi
Center: Suda Yoshihiro, Tokyo Installation (detail), 1994, mixed media, On loan to Yamanashi Prefecture Museum of Art ©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi ©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi
Right: Suda Yoshihiro, Gerbera, 1997, painted on wood, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Gift of Sambishosha [Mr. Ueda Kuniaki and Mrs. Ueda Katsuko], Photo: Shunji Tanaka©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi ©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi
From November 30, 2024, the “Suda Yoshihiro” exhibition at the Shoto Museum of Art in Shibuya invites visitors into a realm where nature and art overlap through hyper-realistic sculptures of plants and flowers. Suda painstakingly sculpts these botanical forms life-size and places them in unexpected locations, transforming each setting into a singular, immersive environment.
This exhibition features Suda’s early works, drawings, and his hosaku creations in which he restores missing parts of traditional artworks, an aspect rarely seen elsewhere. Another highlight is the recreation of his graduation project, viewable only at this show. The Shoto Museum of Art itself is a unique building designed by Seiichi Shirai, known as the “philosophical architect.” Its curving exhibition spaces amplify the quiet, poetic quality of Suda’s sculptures, offering moments of surprise as you discover each piece delicately integrated into its surroundings.
3) Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, “Wonderment Noe Aoki / Ritsue Mishima” (Saturday, November 30, 2024 – Sunday, February 16, 2025)
Upper Left: Entrance, Main Building, Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Lower Left: Salon and Perfume Tower, Main Building, Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Center: Noe Aoki, mijin (microcrystal), 2020, gallery21yo-j, Tokyo, installation view ©Noe Aoki, courtesy of ANOMALY (photo: Tadasu Yamamoto)
Right: Ritsue Mishima, VENERE, 2023, UESHIMA MUSEUM COLLECTION (photo: Francesco Barasciutti)
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum —housed in a building recognized as an Important Cultural Property—“Wonderment Noe Aoki / Ritsue Mishima” is currently on view. Our everyday experience is suffused with different kinds of light: the sun’s rays, gentle moonlight, and so forth. This exhibition showcases leading contemporary artists Noe Aoki and Ritsue Mishima, whose works, made using iron and glass—materials long present in human civilization—bring new splendor to the museum’s Art Deco interiors.
Both artists extensively explored the space beforehand to develop a site-specific plan exclusively for this exhibition. Aoki is inspired by the “transparent light” she observes when cutting through iron, continually pursuing the radiant qualities of an otherwise heavy material. Mishima, on the other hand, seeks to capture the “contours of light” with her transparent glass creations. Natural daylight pours in during the day, and warm interior lighting takes over at dusk, transforming the atmosphere within. Visitors can witness each artwork’s relationship to light as iron and glass embody luminous possibilities. This convergence of history and the present, iron and glass, artist and space, invites viewers into a world of artistic brilliance shaped by light.
2. “The Gift of Modern Technology: Exploring the Potential of Art in a New Era”
Advancements in science and technology are unlocking new realms of artistic expression. Contemporary technologies such as digital tools, AI, VR, 3D printing, and innovative sound techniques have made possible previously unimaginable art forms and experiences. This section delves into how modern technology influences art and its potential future, highlighting forms of expression that could only emerge in this era. Through groundbreaking creations that blend tradition with modernity, we uncover new dimensions of creativity shaped by the synergy of technology and art.
1) Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery “Kei Imazu Tanah Air” (Saturday, January 11, 2025 – Sunday, March 23, 2025)
Upper Left: Installation view of unearth, ROH, Indonesia, 2023, courtesy of The Artist and ROH
Lower Left: When Facing the Mud (Response of Shrimp Farmers in Sidoarjo), 2022, oil, acrylic, mud, UV print on canvas, 194×388 cm, 2022, Private Collection, courtesy of The Artist and ROH
Center: Decoupling , oil on canvas, 2016, 116×80 cm, Private Collection, photo: Keizo Kioku, courtesy of The Artist and ANOMALY
Right: Last Universal Common Ancestor, 2022, oil on canvas, 201×135.5 cm, Obayashi Collection, photo: Ichiro Mishima, courtesy of The Artist and ANOMALY
From January 11, 2025, the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery is hosting “Kei Imazu Tanah Air.” In 2017, Imazu relocated her studio and residence to Bandung, Indonesia, where she began researching issues such as rapid urban development and environmental pollution—sometimes traveling to these locations in person—to inform her art. Employing a unique blend of traditional and contemporary approaches, she digitally edits images she finds online, then painstakingly renders them in oil on canvas.
By integrating images of contemporary events, as well as drawing from mythology, history, and evolutionary biology, she merges various time frames and themes in her work. The result is an interrogation of modern society’s dilemmas from a universal vantage point. Alongside her paintings, this exhibition features large-scale sculptures created using 3D printers and immersive installations inspired by Indonesia’s history and natural environment, revealing the breadth of Imazu’s artistry.
The title Tanah Air comes from Indonesian words for “soil” and “water,” symbolizing “homeland.” For Imazu, the works created based on her experiences in two homelands—Indonesia, where she currently resides, and Japan, her place of origin—offer viewers an opportunity to reflect on their own sense of belonging and place in the world. Through these intertwined experiences, her art invites audiences to reconsider their relationship with the spaces they inhabit. Don’t miss this chance to encounter Imazu’s sweeping vision and experience the world in a new light.
2) UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX “Kei Imazu Exhibition” (Wednesday, January 15, 2025 – the end of March, 2025)
Left:"Kei Imazu Exhibition" - Exhibition Poster
Right: Installation View of "Kei Imazu Exhibition" at UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX
Following the opening of the UESHIMA MUSEUM(Main Building) within Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen in June 2024, the UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX opened in January 2025 with a “Kei Imazu Exhibition” launched on January 15. The UESHIMA MUSEUM COLLECTION—one of the most extensive in Japan—focuses on contemporaneity and houses a diverse range of artworks, including VENERE (2023) by Ritsue Mishima, currently on loan to the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum.
This show brings together twelve works by Imazu from the collection, including her standout 2019 piece, To Survive. Known for her method of compiling a wide array of digital imagery, editing it on the computer, then translating it into oil paintings, Imazu embraces elements like glitches and other unintentional artifacts in the digital process. The result is a visual experience unattainable through traditional painting techniques, offering new perspectives for the viewer.
Spanning roughly two decades, from the late 2000s to the present, the exhibition traces the evolution of Imazu’s career. Her move from Japan to Bandung and personal experiences such as childbirth and parenting seem to have profoundly shaped her themes and motifs over time. Visitors can observe this artistic journey in each stage of her work.
3) Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, “Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time“ (Saturday, December 21, 2024 – Sunday, March 30, 2025)
Left: Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time – Exhibition Poster
Upper Center: Installation view of the exhibition "Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2024. Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani, async–immersion tokyo, 2024 ©2024 KAB Inc. Photo: Takeshi Asano
Lower Center: Min Tanaka, Locus Focus at Ryuichi Sakamoto + Fujiko Nakaya + Shiro Takatani, LIFE–WELL TOKYO, Fog Sculpture #47662, 2024 Photo: Itaru Hirama
Right: Installation view of the exhibition "Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2024. Ryuichi Sakamoto + Toshio Iwai, Music Plays Images X Images Play Music, 1996–1997/2024 ©2024 KAB Inc. Photo: Ryuichi Maruo
Since December 21, 2024, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo has been hosting “Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time," offering a comprehensive look at the artistic pursuits of one of Japan’s most celebrated musicians and artists. This large-scale retrospective, the first in Japan since Sakamoto’s passing, integrates music and visual art for a new form of immersive experience.
Sakamoto’s output spanned countless creative avenues, from multimedia live performances to site-specific sound installations begun in the early 2000s. Focused on his lifelong inquiries into “sound” and “time,” the exhibition features around ten immersive, experiential sound installations—both iconic pieces and newly unveiled works—drawn from more than five decades of artistic activity. Pushing beyond conventional boundaries, it offers a space where music converges with the visual, and time intersects with space. Experience the world of “seeing sound” and “hearing time” that Ryuichi Sakamoto so passionately explored.
4) SBI Art Auction “The 69th SBI Art Auction | MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART” (Saturday, January 25, 2025 – Sunday, January 26, 2025)
SBI Art Auction will hold “The 69th SBI Art Auction | MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART” on Saturday, January 25th and Sunday, January 26th, 2025, at Daikanyama Hillside Forum. This sale will feature a remarkable selection of works by internationally acclaimed masters to emerging artists, offering a fitting start to the new year, 2025.
One of the key highlights of the auction is Small Window by YAMAGUCHI Takeo, a masterpiece that exemplifies his pioneering abstract style. With striking geometric compositions and his unique sense of color, this exceptional work will also grace the cover of the auction catalogue, showcasing the boldness and expressive power that define his artistry. Alongside it, KUSAMA Yayoi’s iconic acrylic painting featuring her famous pumpkin motif, as well as her bronze sculptures and glittering silkscreens, will be featured. A rare collection of sixteen prints by NARA Yoshitomo, widely celebrated both in Japan and abroad, will also be presented.
This auction showcases works by renowned international artists, starting with Gerhard Richter, a leading figure in contemporary German art, celebrated for his seamless blend of figuration and abstraction. His exploration of light and color imbues his abstract compositions with poetic beauty. From the United States, Alex KATZ, renowned for his bold use of color and figurative expression during the abstract art movement of the 1950s, will also be featured. Additionally, iconic Pop Art legend Andy WARHOL’s pieces will be presented.
Representing Asia, the auction highlights extraordinary works by LEE Ufan, a key figure in post-war Korean and Japanese art. Alongside these masters, emerging talents such as ROKUKAKU Ayako, known for her unique, hand-painted depictions of young girls in vibrant colors, and TOMOSAWA Kotao, a rising star whose striking works have captivated attention since his student years, will also be included. This is an exceptional opportunity to experience both established icons and promising new voices shaping the future of contemporary art.
As the beginning of a new year, we invite you to experience the power of art through these exceptional pieces. The auction will be held over the weekend, and the viewing period will be extended, providing an excellent opportunity for those who may not usually attend to visit. We invite art lovers and collectors alike to explore this extraordinary selection and look forward to welcoming you to the auction and its preview.
In this article, we focus on two themes— “Fusion of Traditional Techniques and Art: A Reinterpretation of Timeless Expressions” and “The Gift of Modern Technology: Exploring the Potential of Art in a New Era” —and introduce exhibitions and events selected around these concepts. From witnessing how age-old craftsmanship, deeply rooted in people’s lives and culture, breathes new life into contemporary art, to sensing the impact of advancing science and technology on artistic expression, there’s much to discover. Among the highlights, the National Museum of Western Art is currently hosting “Monet: The Late Waterscapes”, which lets you experience the world of light and nature conjured by Claude Monet, one of the most beloved Impressionist painters worldwide.
At the Shoto Museum of Art, the “Suda Yoshihiro” exhibition surprises viewers with exquisitely detailed sculptures of natural forms found in everyday life.
Meanwhile, in a rare green oasis within Tokyo—and with the main building itself designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan—the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is featuring “Wonderment Noe Aoki / Ritsue Mishima.” This exhibition spotlights two artists who create work using materials—such as iron and glass—that have long been part of people’s daily lives.
The distinctive style of Kei Imazu involves painting in oil based on sketches processed and composed using data from digital media through an app. Her captivating work can be explored in-depth in both “Kei Imazu Tanah Air” at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery and “Kei Imazu Exhibition” at UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX. Additionally, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo is hosting “Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time,” a large-scale retrospective for the world-famous musician and artist known for his multimedia live installations. These, along with our very own auction featuring an excellent lineup of contemporary artworks, form a stellar array of must-see exhibitions for your art-filled itinerary.
Table of Contents
1. “Fusion of Traditional Techniques and Art: A Reinterpretation of Timeless Expressions”
1) The National Museum of Western Art, “Monet: The Late Waterscapes”
2) The Shoto Museum of Art, the “Suda Yoshihiro” exhibition
3) Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, “Wonderment Noe Aoki / Ritsue Mishima”
2. “The Gift of Modern Technology: Exploring the Potential of Art in a New Era”
1) Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery “Kei Imazu Tanah Air”
2) UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX “Kei Imazu Exhibition”
3) Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, “Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time”
4) SBI Art Auction “The 69th SBI Art Auction | Modern and Contemporary Art”
1. “Fusion of Traditional Techniques and Art: A Reinterpretation of Timeless Expressions”
Below are exhibitions that illuminate how traditional craftsmanship, long interwoven with people’s lives and culture, brings forth a new vitality in contemporary art. Whether in oil painting, wood carving, architecture, or the use of materials like iron and glass, classical techniques evolve from mere craft to new expressions that unite the artist’s individual style with the spirit of the times, generating fresh value.
1) The National Museum of Western Art, “Monet: The Late Waterscapes” (Saturday, October 5, 2024 - Tuesday, February 11, 2025)
From October 2024, the National Museum of Western Art presents “Monet: The Late Waterscapes”, a grand-scale exhibition showcasing Claude Monet—one of the most prominent Impressionist painters, who remains extremely popular in Japan. This remarkable lineup features about 50 masterpieces, including works from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris—the largest collection of Monet’s works in the world— many of which are being exhibited in Japan for the very first time. Alongside these international treasures, the exhibition also features renowned paintings from various prestigious Japanese collections, offering a truly unmissable cultural experience.
After exploring Monet’s London scenes and views along the Seine, the exhibition moves on to the period when he turned to the subject of water and flowers in his iconic “Water Lilies” series. In the midst of numerous hardships, Monet embarked on the monumental endeavor known as Grande Décoration, planning to cover an entire room with massive panels depicting his water-lily pond. Despite cataracts that altered his color perception in his later years, the exhibition highlights his steadfast creative drive, refined sense of color, and experimental spirit. Monet’s unwavering determination in the face of adversity was not only a bold challenge to the established painting techniques of his era, but the gently oscillating surfaces of his water-lily pond— “a symphony of color”—continue to inspire and resonate with today’s audiences.
2) The Shoto Museum of Art, the “Suda Yoshihiro” exhibition (Saturday, November 30, 2024 – Sunday, February 2, 2025)
Left: Suda Yoshihiro, Suzumeuri, 2024, Painted on wood, collection of the artist ©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi
Center: Suda Yoshihiro, Tokyo Installation (detail), 1994, mixed media, On loan to Yamanashi Prefecture Museum of Art ©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi ©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi
Right: Suda Yoshihiro, Gerbera, 1997, painted on wood, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Gift of Sambishosha [Mr. Ueda Kuniaki and Mrs. Ueda Katsuko], Photo: Shunji Tanaka©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi ©Suda Yoshihiro / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi
From November 30, 2024, the “Suda Yoshihiro” exhibition at the Shoto Museum of Art in Shibuya invites visitors into a realm where nature and art overlap through hyper-realistic sculptures of plants and flowers. Suda painstakingly sculpts these botanical forms life-size and places them in unexpected locations, transforming each setting into a singular, immersive environment.
This exhibition features Suda’s early works, drawings, and his hosaku creations in which he restores missing parts of traditional artworks, an aspect rarely seen elsewhere. Another highlight is the recreation of his graduation project, viewable only at this show. The Shoto Museum of Art itself is a unique building designed by Seiichi Shirai, known as the “philosophical architect.” Its curving exhibition spaces amplify the quiet, poetic quality of Suda’s sculptures, offering moments of surprise as you discover each piece delicately integrated into its surroundings.
3) Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, “Wonderment Noe Aoki / Ritsue Mishima” (Saturday, November 30, 2024 – Sunday, February 16, 2025)
Upper Left: Entrance, Main Building, Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Lower Left: Salon and Perfume Tower, Main Building, Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Center: Noe Aoki, mijin (microcrystal), 2020, gallery21yo-j, Tokyo, installation view ©Noe Aoki, courtesy of ANOMALY (photo: Tadasu Yamamoto)
Right: Ritsue Mishima, VENERE, 2023, UESHIMA MUSEUM COLLECTION (photo: Francesco Barasciutti)
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum —housed in a building recognized as an Important Cultural Property—“Wonderment Noe Aoki / Ritsue Mishima” is currently on view. Our everyday experience is suffused with different kinds of light: the sun’s rays, gentle moonlight, and so forth. This exhibition showcases leading contemporary artists Noe Aoki and Ritsue Mishima, whose works, made using iron and glass—materials long present in human civilization—bring new splendor to the museum’s Art Deco interiors.
Both artists extensively explored the space beforehand to develop a site-specific plan exclusively for this exhibition. Aoki is inspired by the “transparent light” she observes when cutting through iron, continually pursuing the radiant qualities of an otherwise heavy material. Mishima, on the other hand, seeks to capture the “contours of light” with her transparent glass creations. Natural daylight pours in during the day, and warm interior lighting takes over at dusk, transforming the atmosphere within. Visitors can witness each artwork’s relationship to light as iron and glass embody luminous possibilities. This convergence of history and the present, iron and glass, artist and space, invites viewers into a world of artistic brilliance shaped by light.
2. “The Gift of Modern Technology: Exploring the Potential of Art in a New Era”
Advancements in science and technology are unlocking new realms of artistic expression. Contemporary technologies such as digital tools, AI, VR, 3D printing, and innovative sound techniques have made possible previously unimaginable art forms and experiences. This section delves into how modern technology influences art and its potential future, highlighting forms of expression that could only emerge in this era. Through groundbreaking creations that blend tradition with modernity, we uncover new dimensions of creativity shaped by the synergy of technology and art.
1) Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery “Kei Imazu Tanah Air” (Saturday, January 11, 2025 – Sunday, March 23, 2025)
Upper Left: Installation view of unearth, ROH, Indonesia, 2023, courtesy of The Artist and ROH
Lower Left: When Facing the Mud (Response of Shrimp Farmers in Sidoarjo), 2022, oil, acrylic, mud, UV print on canvas, 194×388 cm, 2022, Private Collection, courtesy of The Artist and ROH
Center: Decoupling , oil on canvas, 2016, 116×80 cm, Private Collection, photo: Keizo Kioku, courtesy of The Artist and ANOMALY
Right: Last Universal Common Ancestor, 2022, oil on canvas, 201×135.5 cm, Obayashi Collection, photo: Ichiro Mishima, courtesy of The Artist and ANOMALY
From January 11, 2025, the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery is hosting “Kei Imazu Tanah Air.” In 2017, Imazu relocated her studio and residence to Bandung, Indonesia, where she began researching issues such as rapid urban development and environmental pollution—sometimes traveling to these locations in person—to inform her art. Employing a unique blend of traditional and contemporary approaches, she digitally edits images she finds online, then painstakingly renders them in oil on canvas.
By integrating images of contemporary events, as well as drawing from mythology, history, and evolutionary biology, she merges various time frames and themes in her work. The result is an interrogation of modern society’s dilemmas from a universal vantage point. Alongside her paintings, this exhibition features large-scale sculptures created using 3D printers and immersive installations inspired by Indonesia’s history and natural environment, revealing the breadth of Imazu’s artistry.
The title Tanah Air comes from Indonesian words for “soil” and “water,” symbolizing “homeland.” For Imazu, the works created based on her experiences in two homelands—Indonesia, where she currently resides, and Japan, her place of origin—offer viewers an opportunity to reflect on their own sense of belonging and place in the world. Through these intertwined experiences, her art invites audiences to reconsider their relationship with the spaces they inhabit. Don’t miss this chance to encounter Imazu’s sweeping vision and experience the world in a new light.
2) UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX “Kei Imazu Exhibition” (Wednesday, January 15, 2025 – the end of March, 2025)
Left:"Kei Imazu Exhibition" - Exhibition Poster
Right: Installation View of "Kei Imazu Exhibition" at UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX
Following the opening of the UESHIMA MUSEUM(Main Building) within Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen in June 2024, the UESHIMA MUSEUM ANNEX opened in January 2025 with a “Kei Imazu Exhibition” launched on January 15. The UESHIMA MUSEUM COLLECTION—one of the most extensive in Japan—focuses on contemporaneity and houses a diverse range of artworks, including VENERE (2023) by Ritsue Mishima, currently on loan to the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum.
This show brings together twelve works by Imazu from the collection, including her standout 2019 piece, To Survive. Known for her method of compiling a wide array of digital imagery, editing it on the computer, then translating it into oil paintings, Imazu embraces elements like glitches and other unintentional artifacts in the digital process. The result is a visual experience unattainable through traditional painting techniques, offering new perspectives for the viewer.
Spanning roughly two decades, from the late 2000s to the present, the exhibition traces the evolution of Imazu’s career. Her move from Japan to Bandung and personal experiences such as childbirth and parenting seem to have profoundly shaped her themes and motifs over time. Visitors can observe this artistic journey in each stage of her work.
3) Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, “Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time“ (Saturday, December 21, 2024 – Sunday, March 30, 2025)
Left: Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time – Exhibition Poster
Upper Center: Installation view of the exhibition "Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2024. Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani, async–immersion tokyo, 2024 ©2024 KAB Inc. Photo: Takeshi Asano
Lower Center: Min Tanaka, Locus Focus at Ryuichi Sakamoto + Fujiko Nakaya + Shiro Takatani, LIFE–WELL TOKYO, Fog Sculpture #47662, 2024 Photo: Itaru Hirama
Right: Installation view of the exhibition "Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2024. Ryuichi Sakamoto + Toshio Iwai, Music Plays Images X Images Play Music, 1996–1997/2024 ©2024 KAB Inc. Photo: Ryuichi Maruo
Since December 21, 2024, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo has been hosting “Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time," offering a comprehensive look at the artistic pursuits of one of Japan’s most celebrated musicians and artists. This large-scale retrospective, the first in Japan since Sakamoto’s passing, integrates music and visual art for a new form of immersive experience.
Sakamoto’s output spanned countless creative avenues, from multimedia live performances to site-specific sound installations begun in the early 2000s. Focused on his lifelong inquiries into “sound” and “time,” the exhibition features around ten immersive, experiential sound installations—both iconic pieces and newly unveiled works—drawn from more than five decades of artistic activity. Pushing beyond conventional boundaries, it offers a space where music converges with the visual, and time intersects with space. Experience the world of “seeing sound” and “hearing time” that Ryuichi Sakamoto so passionately explored.
4) SBI Art Auction “The 69th SBI Art Auction | MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART” (Saturday, January 25, 2025 – Sunday, January 26, 2025)
SBI Art Auction will hold “The 69th SBI Art Auction | MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART” on Saturday, January 25th and Sunday, January 26th, 2025, at Daikanyama Hillside Forum. This sale will feature a remarkable selection of works by internationally acclaimed masters to emerging artists, offering a fitting start to the new year, 2025.
One of the key highlights of the auction is Small Window by YAMAGUCHI Takeo, a masterpiece that exemplifies his pioneering abstract style. With striking geometric compositions and his unique sense of color, this exceptional work will also grace the cover of the auction catalogue, showcasing the boldness and expressive power that define his artistry. Alongside it, KUSAMA Yayoi’s iconic acrylic painting featuring her famous pumpkin motif, as well as her bronze sculptures and glittering silkscreens, will be featured. A rare collection of sixteen prints by NARA Yoshitomo, widely celebrated both in Japan and abroad, will also be presented.
This auction showcases works by renowned international artists, starting with Gerhard Richter, a leading figure in contemporary German art, celebrated for his seamless blend of figuration and abstraction. His exploration of light and color imbues his abstract compositions with poetic beauty. From the United States, Alex KATZ, renowned for his bold use of color and figurative expression during the abstract art movement of the 1950s, will also be featured. Additionally, iconic Pop Art legend Andy WARHOL’s pieces will be presented.
Representing Asia, the auction highlights extraordinary works by LEE Ufan, a key figure in post-war Korean and Japanese art. Alongside these masters, emerging talents such as ROKUKAKU Ayako, known for her unique, hand-painted depictions of young girls in vibrant colors, and TOMOSAWA Kotao, a rising star whose striking works have captivated attention since his student years, will also be included. This is an exceptional opportunity to experience both established icons and promising new voices shaping the future of contemporary art.
As the beginning of a new year, we invite you to experience the power of art through these exceptional pieces. The auction will be held over the weekend, and the viewing period will be extended, providing an excellent opportunity for those who may not usually attend to visit. We invite art lovers and collectors alike to explore this extraordinary selection and look forward to welcoming you to the auction and its preview.
