The award-winning works in this exhibition come from the photo exhibition "Hiromi Tsuchida's Japan" (Dec 2007-Feb 2008) held at the Museum of Photography, Tokyo, which showcased the life and artistic pursuits of their artists, organized into three sections: "The Japanese," "Hiroshima," and "Self-portraits". "The Japanese" is the result of an extended exploration of Japanese vernacular culture- and local customs in "God of Customs" (1968-74), cities and the era of rapid economic growth in postwar Japan, "Counting Sand" (1975-89), the heady days of the bubble economy in "Party" (1980-90), the collapse of the bubble in "New: Counting Sand," (1995-2004), and the continuation to "God of Customs" (1980-2004), that took as its emblem the festivals of Japan. Part II, "Hiroshima," features "Hiroshima 1945-79", an account tracing the fates of children of the atomic disaster, as well as "Hiroshima- Monument" (1979-83), "Hiroshima- Collection" (1982-94), and Hiroshima 3. Part III, "Self-portraits," features the face of the artist, taken everyday since 1986, collected in a video work of four minutes twenty seconds. Since the late 1960s, the artist has pursued a singularly unique vision and clear concept in his work, privileging self-expression and thorough documentation as his working principles, in addition to giving expression to experimental approaches. This exhibition of award-winning work will display pieces from Part 1 of "Hiromi Tsuchida's Japan" -"God of Customs", "Counting Sand," and "New: Counting Sand", "God of Customs: Continued," as well as from Part III, "Self-portraits."

The China Advertising Festival is the most influential of its kind in the Chinese advertising industry. The first edition was organized in 1986 with the permission of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and has since traveled to many cities within China. The aim of the festival is to raise the overall level of the advertising industry and promote exchange and cooperation between Chinese and international businesses in a wide variety of areas. The award winners on display have been stringently selected by a wide panel of Chinese and international experts and are now open for general public exhibition. The 14th edition was held last September in Qingdao City, Shandong province, communicating to all the vitality and creativity of this burgeoning arm of the Chinese economy.

-Related Events Concert Guests: Blue Moon Red Roses/ Sachi (violin) & Taizan Seigetsu (cello) "Disaster House" Preview Screening + Talk Show 1. About the film "Disaster House" Guests: Ochazuke-nori, Miyako Kojima, Sachi, Arisu Kobayashi 2. About "Gimmicky Toy Box from Hell" Guests: Ochazuke-nori, Miyako Kojima, Michiru Noroi and others Date & Time: May 10th (Sat) 17:00- Fee: ¥1500 (including 1 drink) [Image: Miyako Kojima]

Installation featuring 4000 reels of thread that plays havoc with the viewer's perception. Hanging down from the ceiling like a downpour of rain, the cascading thread installation creates the illusion of feline, carnivorous creatures floating upright in space, colored in one by one by reels of dyed thread. The thread was dyed realistically by referring to CT image scans of animal models conducted at a scientific-technological facility.

[Image: Isao Fujii]

[Image: "Very Very", 130 x 200cm]

Shiga's hand-colored woodblock prints have a singular quality about them that is particular to the specific process she employs. Their alluring textures are achieved by her distinctive color choices and sense of composition. [Image: "A Spring Day" (2008) Hand-colored woodblock print 61 x 89cm]

About 10 prints. [Image: "On the Way Out I" Lithograph 700 × 1000mm]

[Image: "Listen to the Dog. The Dog Knows (Ceiling)" (2008), fabric, cotton and rope, etc.]

Curated by anthropologist Tomo Nakajima, this exhibition features three artists who were thrown the challenge of considering what sort of trace artworks leave behind them. What sort of response did the artists emerge with? Reception: May 17th (Sat) 18:00-20:00

"Scenes relating to water" is the overall theme of this artist's work. She emphasizes the atmospheric aspect of painting, capturing subtleties and visualizing the basic sensuous elements of life such as sound, smell, and temperature.

Opening party: May 12th (Mon) 17:00-18:30

Landscape painting flourished at the end of 19th century. More than a century later, modern landscape and methods of depicting it have changed considerably. Started in April 1999, this is the 10th edition of the exhibition, in which new-generation artists working in various media tackles issues in contemporary representation and portrayal. -Part 1 Group Exhibition Date: April 28th (Mon)-May 3rd (Sat) Artists: Azusa Hayashi, Ayako Kuno, Naoko Noro, Madoka Kaneko -Part 2 8kb "Anxiety" Date: May 5th (Mon)-May 10th (Sat) -Part 3 Kaori Kojima "Roundabout" Date: May 12th (Mon)-May 17th (Sat) -Part 4 Installation Live Date, Time & Artists: May 19th (Mon)-May 21st (Wed) 12:00-20:30 Mai Mochida "Night Voyage" May 22nd (Thur)-May 24th (Sat) 12:00-20:30 Akinori Sakai "Difference & Repetition" [Image: Ayako Kuno]

Ishizuka's work is frequently used in Soji Shimada's books. Her work always stirs up strong visceral sensations and subconscious reactions in her audience. This is her first solo exhibition at this venue. [Image: "The Hill" Acrylic 15.8 × 22.7cm]

Maddelena Sisto (born 1951 in Alexandria, passed away 2000 in Milan) was a world-renowned illustrator who worked with magazines like Italian Vogue and Elle Deco, and was also something of a legend in the Italian fashion world. For 30 years since the 70's, Sisto expressed the zeitgeist through her work with remarkable flair. Unfortunately, her prolific career was cut short In 2000, when she fell victim to cancer and passed away shortly after. This show is a traveling exhibition that was inaugurated in 2004 at the Milan Triennale, organized by Franca Sozzani, the charismatic editor of Italian Vogue. Now arriving in Japan, it has been extremely well-received in Italy owing to its comprehensive documentation of changing times through the medium of fashion. About 1000 works by Sisto will be on display, including around 100 original watercolors on the subject of fashion and design, as well as art objects, sculptures, and photographs. In these autographed works, Sisto captured and reflected the spirit of an age through her astute illustrations, infused not only with her exceptional talent, but also her sharp eye for irony.

Kitaura's characteristic styles are his child-like stormy scribbled brushwork and physical contrast between the thickness of such a fiercely applied paint and the smooth surface of his canvas. His whimsically chosen motifs, often human faces, flowers and flames, are depicted in a seemingly unrelated way. Kitaura portrays these motifs in the corners of his canvases in a passive manner, while at times he depicts them with great boldness. However, we will feel something is wrong if we view his work as innocent or naive as that of a child. If we look at his work more carefully, we might see the paradox between his apparent cynical rejection of painting and the acceptance of itself. Kitaura always belies with a poetic sense of humor the expectations of his audience, who tries to typecast his work with their own sense of values. Please enjoy his first solo exhibition at this venue. -Opening Reception Date & Time: May 2nd (Fri) 18:00-20:00

Ginza Graphic Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition entitled "Alan Fletcher: The Father of British Graphic Design". Alan Fletcher, who died in September 2006, was an influential figure not only within England but also in the context of an international contemporary graphic design scene. One of the founding members of the Pentagram design group, Fletcher was the creator of innovative designs shot through with a satirical wit. Moreover, he was appointed creative director of Phaidon Press, playing an important role in familiarizing the public with the idea of art books. This exhibition showcases about 60 posters from the collection of the London Design Museum that demonstrate Fletcher's unflagging curiosity for novel design. -Gallery Talk Date & Time: May 9th (Fri) 16:00-17:30 Guest: Emily King Location: DNP Ginza Building 5F Fee: Free (Reservation required)

[Image: Ian Hamilton Finlay "Four Sails" (1967) 555 x 430mm]

Bishin Jumonji started working as a freelance photographer in 1971 at the age of 24. His debut work "Untitled" was exhibited at Camera Mainichi, and was later chosen to be shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, winning him critical acclaim from abroad. At around the same time, his work was featured in Anan magazine, and Issey Miyake later issued an entire ten-page fashion gravure centerfold of his work, launching his hugely successful career with a flourish. The following year, he landed advertising work with Shiseido, Matsushita Electric and many others, leaving a big impact on the world with his experimental, spectacular images, and receiving several ADC awards in the process. Some of his noted work includes "Orchid Boat" (1981), the result of 7 years of research among the Japanese immigrant population in Hawaii, "Darkness" (1987), which featured the myths and legends of ethnic minorities in Asia, and an ambitious work taking Japanese gold as its theme, using elements of 3D expression. Jumonji attempts to capture a certain marginalized set of sensibilities in his work, striving for sentiments that elude everyone else, looking to frame subjects that others are oblivious to, believing that this is the only solid route to a compelling photograph. This exhibition showcases a range of Jumonji's early work right up to his advertising photography, shown over two venues (Creation G8 and Guardian Gallery). Opening party: May 12th (Mon) 19:00-20:30 Talk show: 201st Creative Salon May 23rd (Fri) 19:10-20:40 Creation Gallery G8 Admission free, reservation necessary (Tel: 03-3575-6918) Guest: Kazuhiko Ota (art director), Bishin Jumonji Now accepting reservations.

Bishin Jumonji started working as a freelance photographer in 1971 at the age of 24. His debut work "Untitled" was exhibited at Camera Mainichi, and was later chosen to be shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, winning him critical acclaim abroad. Around the same time, his work was featured in Anan magazine, and Issey Miyake later issued an entire ten-page fashion gravure centerfold of his work, launching his hugely successful career with a flourish. The following year, he landed advertising work with Shiseido, Matsushita Electric and many others, leaving a big impact on the world with his experimental, spectacular images, and receiving several ADC awards in the process. Some of his noted work includes "Orchid Boat" (1981), the result of 7 years of research among the Japanese immigrant population in Hawaii, "Darkness" (1987), which featured the myths and legends of ethnic minorities in Asia, and an ambitious work taking Japanese gold as its theme, using elements of 3D expression. Jumonji attempts to capture a certain marginalized set of sensibilities in his work, striving for sentiments that elude everyone else, looking to frame subjects that others are oblivious to, believing that this is the only solid route to a compelling photograph. This exhibition showcases a range of Jumonji's early work right up to his advertising photography, shown over two venues (Creation G8 and Guardian Gallery). Opening party: May 12th (Mon) 19:00-20:30 Talk show: 201st Creative Salon May 23rd (Fri) 19:10-20:40 Creation Gallery G8 Admission free, reservation necessary (Tel: 03-3575-6918) Guest: Kazuhiko Ota (art director), Bishin Jumonji Now accepting reservations.

In the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo, houses, stores, housing complexes, old buildings and new high-rises are all crowded next to and on top of each other. The old and new coexist in this city. As the sun goes down and the city lights come on, natural light and artificial light start to blend with each other. In this luminous mixture, according to Sato, "the new and old cluster together, and Tokyo in this ambiguous condition is when the city is at its most beautiful". It is during these particular hours of the day, the dusky evening border, that the artist captures Tokyo, where residential and commercial areas mingle with each other. Sato's Tokyo is a place of tremendous enegy where the dynamism of its inhabitants is kept in exquisite balance. This exhibition showcases over 30 color photographs of old towns, Shinjuku and other areas in Tokyo that the artist shot from 2002 to 2008.

Tsubaki-kai is a perennial artists' circle and exhibition group that celebrated its sixtieth anniversary in 2007, and the membership has changed over the years since its inception, with each group of artists' exhibitions representative of the Shiseido Gallery in each time period. The Sixth Tsubaki-kai, slated to get underway in 2007, features works by new members including Yasuko Iba, Chiharu Shiota, Masanori Sukenari, Kyotaro Hakamata, Naofumi Maruyama, and Miwa Yanagi. The second exhibition, Tsubaki-kai Exhibition 2008 —Trans-Figurative—, will present works by artists Chiharu Shiota, Kyotaro Hakamata, Naofumi Maruyama, and Miwa Yanagi. Only the Tsubaki-kai offers opportunities to experience the unusual combinations that will be brought out by these artists working in tandem for this year.

The Art Festival for World Peace is an international event that seeks ways to make contributions to world peace through art. Held once in four years, in Seoul in 2000 and Shanghai in 2004, the festival has come to Japan this year, 2008. Gallery Bijutsu Sekai is proud to hold this preview exhibition that will give visitors a foretaste of the upcoming festival.

[Image: "Green Landscape with eight circles" (2008)]

"There is neither completion nor an end to painting. Accumulation is all." Kazu Wakita's own artistic "accumulation" was a testament to that fact, being itself an arduous journey. This exhibition draws from the print collection of the Kazu Wakita Museum, ranging from his early works produced in 1931, through the postwar era from 1953 onwards, up until 1989, a total of about 40 works that will be displayed in 2 parts. This will be the first public exhibition of these works. First period: April 15th (Tue) - July 30th (Wed) (20 works from the period 1931-1970) Second period: August 1st (Fri) - November 21st (Fri) (20 works from 1971-1989) *Closed on July 31st for exhibition change. *Closed from August 13th-17th for summer vacation.

Nichido Gallery celebrated its 80th founding anniversary last spring. This exhibition showcases work by 150 selected Showakai artists working mostly in contemporary yoga (Western style) painting.

Eugène Ionesco was a Romania-born playwright and the representative of post-war French "Dramas of the Absurd". Since his debut in 1950 with "Bald Female Singer", his other works such as "Class", "Chair", "Rhino" and "the Dying King" have all enjoyed long runs at the Theater Huchette in Paris, while many of his works came to Japan, greatly influencing its contemporary theater world. Ionesco depicted ordinary lives of people with his grotesque sense of humor, while questioning fundamental tragic nature of humans to finally materialize "meaningless existence". The abstrusity of his work was so extreme that the phrase "it's beyond comprehension just like Ionesco's play" became popular in France. In the late 1970s, Ionesco started suffering from neurosis, and painting became one of his therapeutic methods. Unlike his "incomprehensive" plays, paintings he created after turing 60 are full of free-wheeling touch and colors reminiscent of children's scribbles. Please enjoy 10 lithography works by this litterateur.

The artist has depicted imaginary scenery with abundant nature around his atelier as his motifs. For this exhibition, he portrayed distant view from a window and flowers in a garden with delicate brushwork. Approximately 20 works in various sizes will be on display. [Image: "Voice of the Mountains" Watercolor on paper 45.3 × 38.0cm]

Watanabe's work is born out of a sense of fluctuation and unease. It seeks to explore the distances between people and the emotional gulfs that separate them. The human figures in this exhibition exude a feeling of human warmth and presence insofar as all other elements have been expunged from the frame of the painting.

Sobajima's canvases are filled with food-related objects, like bread wrappers, plastic bags, tofu packaging, egg cartons and plastic bottles. At the root of his work is an underlying, quasi-religious conviction that food is the seed and sustenance of everyday life. This exhibition will show 5 oil paintings. [Image: "Singing about Companions," oil on cloth, 130×162cm]

"Fish" swimming in water, rendered with vivid colors in bold strokes that reflect the warped sense of perspective underwater. 10 oil painting works will be on display. [Image: "Holonic", oil on canvas, 194 x 194cm]