The creators have gathered their treasured items for this flea market. Clothes, shoes, books, CDs, plates, interior goods and sundries...a variety of "goodies" will be on sale.

The guest for this TAB talk is Tomoki Sakuda, founder of the non-profit organization Arts and Law. Since founding the organization in 2004, Sakuda has helped to tackle the particular problems faced by artists and creators working both individually and as part of a group. As he explains, "laws should not impose limitations on creativity, but ought instead to facilitate it." Sakuda will conduct a workshop session on the rights and regulations provided for under the law that ought to be mandatory knowledge for all artists and creators hoping to pursue their craft freely. Taking real-life examples from the cases that Arts and Law has thus far handled - such as tensions between collaborating artists, and the repeat use of characters from product designs - this talk hopes to dispel some of the myths surrounding laws affecting the production of creative work, and consequently to foster free expression in as wide a domain of creative fields as possible. Case 1: Running an auction house. Artist has requested that images of the artwork not be freely used. What would be the appropriate path to take? Case 2: A work that you produced was initially undertaken without a contract, but suddenly becomes a hit, and gets used and reproduced in images. What about royalties owed to you? Case 3: A scenario you came up with gets turned into a performance, but you are not credited. Case 4: Photos of your own work get taken and included on a flyer, which also contains copied images of other artists' work. What sort of problems could this lead to? Case 5: Is there a way to assert one's copyright over a work without spending money to do so? Everyone is invited to attend this talk and to consider these thorny issues together. Was Andy Warhol's "Campbell Soup" series an imitation, a homage or a (stolen) inspiration? We hope artists and designers, as well as those interested in arts management, will take this opportunity to scrutinize the more minute, legal details of their profession. Right after, we'll have a short segment called The 30-second Pitch. Five members of the audience will be invited to introduce themselves to the audience, promote a recent project, or announce a new product, website or company in under 30 seconds. If interested, please give your name and contact info at the reception table. Then for another hour, we'll have drinks, chatting, and networking among guests and audience. Light meal is also available. TAB Talks are bilingual Japanese-English and start at 8:30pm, late enough for overworked designers like us. Drinks are available at the venue. Limited seating of 90, come early.

Intense virtual world sent from abroad by Team 4...this exhibition includes painting, sculpture and installation.

Illustrations based on the theme "picnic" by five creators are on display. [Image: Igloo *dining*]

The 11th photography exhibition of art group MAYX.

Seiko Omori presents her two dimensional works combining illustrations that she used to use for women's magazine works and images of flowers and plants. Small craft items are also on display. Opening Party: May 9th (Fri) 18:00-20:00

- Iga, Rouzan Sakamoto & his son Toshihito Ceramic Exhibition Rouzan was born in 1926, and graduated from Waseda University in 1950. He then succeeded to the ceramic studio of Nishiyama. He pursues mastering the Iga tea ceremony ceramic ware, one of the traditional styles of Japanese ceramic. His sun Toshihito was born in 1960 and studied under Kanji Atarashi. A total of 80 vessels and various types of ceramic bowls used at the Japanese tea ceremony are on display. -Yuzo Yagisawa Bamboo Craft Exhibition

-"Food Art Life" Workshops May 12th (Mon): Mixed Media by Marion Zoboski May 14th (Wed): Calligraphy & Doodling by Joei Lau May 15th (Thu): Creative Writing by Lauren Shannon May 16th (Fri): Journal making by Yuiko Akutsu Time: 10:00-12:30 Fee: RBD/VJ club members ¥4000/session (includes cost of materials), Non-members ¥6000/session (includes cost of materials) -Potluck Party Date & Time: May 17th (Sat) 11:00-14:00

Exhibition by 4th year students in the printing department at Tokyo Zokei University.

This exhibition features a series of paintings on the themes of "lines of sight," "the logic of salvation," and the "healing hug" by Argentine sculptor Alejandro Marmo, who received the support of the Argentine embassy in Japan to complete his work.

Asa no Kai Ningyocho exhibition made up mainly of artists from the painting department of Asagaya Art College. Opening Party: May 12th (Mon) 17:00

[Image: "Self Mandala -Banquet-" Oil]

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]

Yamaguchi's rich, poetic oil paintings of nature scenes depict a world whose gentleness has long been forgotten in the midst of the modern city.

Kokin is an artist, who is known for exhibitions in hotel lobbies of Tokyo as well as mural production in a three-star restaurant. Being made with materials like Japanese lacquer, acrylic and silver powder, Kokin's works emanate modern airiness and nature of Japanese people.

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

[Image: Previous installation view]

3 years after 2005's "Haginowatarikaitaku", this exhibition features paths leading off to the sea.

Kanagawa Tama Art Group Exhibition 2008 -Gallery 1F -Oil painting, watercolor, nihonga, sumi-ink drawing, printmaking, sculpture, craft. -70 works -Opens at 13:00 on the first exhibition day. 15th 2020 Association Exhibition -Gallery 2F -Oil painting, nihonga -20 works -Opens at 12:00 on the first exhibition day. 44th Representational Art Exhibition -Gallery 3F A -Representational art -170 works -Opens at 14:00 on the first exhibition day. 33th Hama Groupe Exhibition -Gallery 3F B -Photography -90 works -Opens at 12:00 on the first exhibition day. 2008 Spring JAG Exhibition -Organized by Nihon Geijutsu-ka Kyokai -Gallery 3F C -Painting, nihonga, sumi-ink drawing, 2D craft -130 works -Opens at 13:00 on the first exhibition day.

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.]

Around 100 landscape sketches by members of the Efukeikai, sizes 4-8 watercolors.

4th installment in yearly series of exhibitions featuring artists living in Mitaka working in a variety of media.

This exhibition presents a wide range of works created by students at Tama Art University and Musashino Art University. Based on the theme of "fictional creatures", the exhibition has something of a rabid insanity behind it...

"Loitering" is the graduation exhibition for the 34th Basic Photography course at the Contemporary Photo Institute, showcasing a year's worth of photographic explorations by a wide variety of people of different ages and occupations united by their common love of this craft. All of these works are large-scale silver monochrome prints.

"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.

Two-dimensional works using dye techniques.

"Sakura" Exhibition Around 30 oil and ink paintings created using unique techniques. -Location: Exhibition Room B, 1F -Dates & Times: May 12th (Mon)-May 18th (Sun) 9:00-21:00. Opens at 13:00 on the first day and closes at 19:00 on the last day. -Contact: Shoga Vok:An 045-902-6014 "20th Le Copine Painting" Exhibition Around 60 oil paintings by 12 artists studying under Shotaro Shimizu. -Location: Exhibition Room A, 1F -Dates & Times: May 13th (Tue)-May 18th (Sun) 10:00-17:00. Opens at 10:00 on the first day and closes at 16:30 on the last day. -Contact: Le Copine 045-971-2781 "Atelier Utsukushigaoka" Exhibition Centering mainly on oil paintings, this exhibition showcases about 20 works that reflect each member's state of mind. -Location: Exhibition Room A, 2F -Dates & Times: May 13th (Tue)-May 18th (Sun) 10:30-16:30. Opens at 13:00 on the first day and closes at 16:00 on the last day. -Contact: Atelier Utsukushigaoka 045-901-7000 "Aoba Ink Painting Group" Exhibition About 45 Chinese ink paintings by 10 members studying under Chinese painter Wang Kai. -Location: Exhibition Room B, 2F -Dates & Times: May 14th (Wed)-May 18th (Sun) 10:00-17:00. Opens at 13:00 on the first day and closes at 15:00 on the last day. -Contact: Japan-China International Painting Association 045-974-2226

Both Tsuchiya and Fujitani graduated from the painting department of Musashino Art University in 2005. This exhibition features their works from 2005 and after, focusing mainly on painting.

Tokusen Gallery -Tatsuya Ishiodori nihonga exhibition -Senshinkai tea ceremony implements exhibition Bijutsu Salon -Sotokai four-person exhibition Art Square -4th "Sekijunkai" stone sculpture exhibition Craft Salon -Kiminori Ota dyeing exhibition Main Block/Annex 7th floor Gallery -Nihonga Masters print exhibition (until May 18th)

While the city seems to have been flourishing after climbing out of a recession, it's also said that gaps between social classes have widened these days. As walking around the city, we encounter soon-to-be-forgotten old towns and buildings, where a variety of people live their lives. Placing ourselves in such corners of the city, we feel beauty, nostalgia, agony, sadness, anxiety and frustration. The artist hopes for the city to one day become full of hope and peace. 41 monochrome photographs will be on display.

Information that accumulates, to be shared and transmitted among people living under the same roof. Home is not just a space for communication, but also of learning, mutual understanding and an emotional give and take. This exhibition explores the various design processes that tackle questions like "what does it mean to understand?", or "what does it mean to communicate?"

The title "Toukon" roughly translates into "small but motivated soul." This exhibition features a variety of works that are tiny but surely light up your heart. All the works are smaller than the size of a matchbox.

"Ach so" is one of the few expressions in both Japanese and German that are used in both languages to express surprise. Germans say "ach so!" when they unexpectedly learn something new, while Japanese say "ah so" when surprised at something they had not previously known. Same expression, similar situation, two different cultures. Contemporary art aims at the realization of something new, folded into a new experience or sensation, expressed through a novel medium. This is why the artists chose this title for this exhibition. They hope many visitors to the exhibition will find some sense of wonder and surprise, filling the venue space with a chorus of "ach so" and "ah, so!" Opening Party: May 10th (Sat) 17:00-19:00

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

[Image: "A Hundred Stories - Zodiac (Dragon)" (2008) Oil, tempera on paper & board, 18cm (dia.)]

Opening Reception: May 12th (Mon) 17:00-19:00 [Image: "Planet with V-shaped Steel Tower" (2006) Acrylic on canvas 60 × 72.7cm ]

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]

Opening Reception: May 10th (Sat), 18:00-20:00

Papier Hekisui has been producing feeling-good original stationery. This exhibition celebrates their stamp collection whose number amounts to 300, while newly designed cards will be on display also.

Icaru is a bag brand by Hikaru Yajima. His designs betray his special interest in and attention to their colors and textures. They are not only functional, but also make you feel happier as you use them.

Solo exhibition of new works by Nobuaki Yamanaka, an artist living in Tsukuba City. An active participant in solo and group shows abroad, Yamanaka is also a member of the Nikakai group. His mixed media panel works seem to be simple abstractions at first sight, but display a refined, somewhat suppressed sense for movement and color.

-Live performance by Hideo Hirabayashi (synthesizer) "Samedi Soir vol.6" Date & Time: May 24th (Sat) 19:30- Charge ¥1000/ Drink ¥500 [Image: "Ease vol.7" (2008) Giclee print on arche paper, 420 × 297mm]

Showcasing photographs the artist shot from September 2004 through January 2006 in Minamata City, Kumamoto, and its neighboring areas. Minamata has been known as a place filled with anger and tears. However, its people has started moving on, leaving the lessons of the past behind. The artist captured these people's various expressions, observed their everyday activities and collected small traces of things that belong to this place, portraying in his photographs and words strenuous will power and human dignity. The title of the exhibition speaks for his wish for all people to seize happiness. 30 monochrome photographs will be on display.

Opening: May 9th (Fri) 19:00

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]

Kiyoshi Kawashima was born in 1951. Dropping out of the art research department at the graduate school of the University of Tokyo in 1983, he left to live in America from 1986-88 with the support of the Asian Cultural Council, participating in the P.S.1 Project in New York City. After holding a solo exhibition at the Museum of Art in Iwaki City in 1993 and participating in the "Japan in the 90s - Proposals by 13 Artists" exhibition, Kawashima has in recent years exhibited works of sculpture, including a group exhibition with Takeshi Tsuchiya and Isamu Wakabayashi at the Museum of Art in Iwaki City, as well as the "Attitude 2007" exhibition at the Museum of Art in Kumamoto. Kawashima uses iron, lead, wood, copper, wax, glass, plaster and other materials in his work, accumulating and composing these materials into works that reflect a complex layering of time and memory. Since 2000, he has explored the notion of a condensed body in his "Water Volume" series, continuing to question the possibilities of sculpture, conducting an interrogation of materials, their contrasts and relationships to each other. This exhibition features new drawings of pencil and gouache on paper. In addition, Kawashima has recently begun to tackle copperplate printing, attempting to grasp the essence of drawings through their relationship to prints. Although drawings are usually seen as a kind of rough sketch or draft for other works, Kawashima shows that drawings can been understood as parallel works to the prints they help to create. These new drawings show a profound awareness of the sculptural depth and the sculptural processes inherent to these drawings, the paper showing the traces and results of his artistic process. About 6 to 8 works measuring 270 x 210 and 220ｘ174cm are on display.

-Let's Try! Let's Make! Various types of craft projects are available for children at Zokei Studio (3rd floor). Please check their calendar to find out what kind of projects they have. Programs change every two or three weeks. "Karakuri" (trick) is the overall theme until the end of August 2008. Tuesday - Friday: 12:30-17:30, Weekend/ Holiday: 10:00-17:30 -Origami Playground Origami workshop for children presented by a volunteer staff of Kodomo no Shiro. Thursday: 14:30-15:30 3F Play Hall -Tracing Art Movements of body while doing sports, cooking, cleaning, etc. Using a tablet to trace a picture, this computer workshop presents how to capture different poses. May 13th - June 8th: open anytime on weekends and holidays/ weekdays 14:00-, reception closes at 17:00 10F Computer Room They have many other programs for children at Kodomo no Shiro. Please visit their website for more information.

Alicia Bay Laurel's original drawings of "Living on the Earth" are on display at Kurkku in Jingumae for the first time, and this is a long waited event for the fans of Alicia. These works are available for purchase. Her lovely drawings carry the scent of a hippy commune life in the 70s.

This exhibition presents two of sculptor Claire Xuan's most recent works, "Provence" and "Japan". These book-objects, also called portfolios or travel diaries, were published in a limited edition of 999 copies by the French publisher "Eléments d'Edition" as part of the "Collection of the 5 elements." They will be shown together with about 20 photographic works produced in France and Japan, in order to dissociate the process of photographic work and that of art publishing. These photographs evoke the natural elements - water, wood and earth, presented here as the principal subject. They are presented in glass cases under their original form, destructured as it were, in order to make them more legible, as well as to facilitate an appreciation of the artistic process by which they were made. Sheets of parchment paper that also revolve around the theme of natural elements evoked by the portfolios will also be on display. This exhibition is held in collaboration with the gallery of the United Nations University in Tokyo. Technique and paper These travel diaries are distinguished from each other in part by the printing technique, as well as by the artisanal process of the book-object. Situated somewhere between the book lover's book and a coffer of ancient engravings, these travel diaries, unedited and unaltered, are something of a fusion of contemporary techniques used by professional art publishers and a long heritage of printing traditions. Each original photograph is printed in four colors using a monocolor press, on 250-300g weight paper, composed exclusively of natural fibers that are more often used for engravings and lithographs (virgin cotton fibers). This handmade paper produced according to a traditional artisanal technique is most often produced for engraving purposes. Special attention is given to the drying process between different color passages. The paper is then joined with coffers made entirely by hand with rare types of paper, composed mostly of tea fibers and algae, parchment paper, or even paper that has been made in the country of origin where the coffer came from. The "Japan" portfolio is of particular interest, having been achieved on traditional Japanese washi paper. Each work has been realized on a different sheet of washi, conferring on each of the works a unique character. Xuan has personally overseen the creation of each work and the putting together of each portfolio. Meet-the-artist session, over a glass of wine (with French-Japanese translation) May 31st (Sat) 15:30-17:30 in the gallery on the second floor Held concurrently: Claire Xuan "In the Open Air" May 12th - June 1st 2008 (9:30-17:30) Gallery 1, United Nations University in Tokyo (5-53-70 Jingumae,Shibuya-ku,Tokyo Tel : 03-5467-1212)

We are pleased to announce the exhibition “sign/kehai”, with new works of Makiko Tanaka, an artist who works actively in a variety of media, such as pencil drawing, watercolor and installation. Although the expression of her imaginative world and emotional portraits are the main concerns of her work, she avoids an easy, facile “expressive style” and any justification of her subjectivity. Her fleeting but considerably detailed drawings symbolize her attempt to seize “the sign of existence=kehai”, and it acts as a conceptual map of herself. In this exhibition, Tanaka will show prints and oil paintings as well as pencil drawings. Opening reception: May 9th (Fri) 19:00-21:00 [Image: “Brooch” (2007), pencil, watercolor and paper, 79.5×109 cm © Makiko Tanaka Courtesy of Yumiko Chiba Associates]

This is Seonna Hong's first solo exhibition in Japan. [Image: Seonna Hong, "I am not Permanent" (2007), acrylic and paper on wood panel, 1829 x 1219 mm] ©2007 Seonna Hong All Rights Reserved.

TiFdyL is an artist based between Tokyo and Canada who uses strong colors and outlines.

This photographer has been known for her unique perspective and sense of depth in her landscape and still life works since the beginning of her career. Surprisingly though, her stance toward photography and what draws her to the medium is relatively unknown. This exhibition explores the meaning and foundation behind her work that at times seems to deliberately evade categorization. 10 pieces taken in or after 2003 are on display. This will be her first solo exhibition in Japan since 1999. -Reception Date & Time: May 10th (Sat) 17:00-19:00 -Private Viewing Dates: Sundays, Mondays, and National holidays by appointment only via e-mail.

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.

Performance installation May 12th (Mon) - 15th (Thu) 11:00-19:00 Representative work by Matsushita using Bincho charcoal will be publicly shown for the first time at the venue over four days. These are all new works in charcoal that also incorporate bits of earth. Opening event: "Charcoal Art and Music" May 15th (Thu), 19:00- The end of the installation, in conjunction with a live music event by Asia Sunrise. Acoustic sounds will fill the space of the venue in complement with Matsushita's dynamic charcoal figures.

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.

This is Kitamura's first solo exhibition, featuring his representative sculptures and drawings. What intrigued Kitamura after graduating from sculpture department of Tokyo University of the Arts was a spectacular world of pro-wrestling, in which fiction and reality collides with each other. While Kitamura's creation is based on existing wrestlers with macho bodies, the outcome emanates floating-like presence. This is due in part to his choice of mediums (light-transmissive wax, shiny pigments, etc.), which reveals his obsession in colors and surfaces, while it's also due to skillfully utilized plasticity of materials such as strings and rubber. Unpredictable sense of humor and vacuous beauty coexist in these wrestler figures. It's just as if Kitamura honors legendary gods, who appear in modern myth of pro-wrestling. -Reception Date & Time: May 10th (Sat) 18:00-20:00

Exhibiting approximately 900 portrait photographs Eiichiro Sakata took in the past 20 years in 4 locations -Marunouchi Building, Shin Marunouchi Building, Gyoko-dori Underground Gallery and Marunouchi Oazo. In addition to photographs, there will be video screening and a huge scale installation at each site. All portrait photographs were freshly trimmed for this exhibition. This is an unprecedented approach in which the visitors get to see the portraits of representative figures of our time as they journey into various exhibition spaces in Marunouchi. From the 20th century to the 21st century...the past 20 years witnessed a major shift of various conceptual frameworks both in Japan and abroad, such as the demise of the Cold War, the Gulf War, globalization and the IT revolution. "Portraits of our time" the artist has captured will reflect the time the world has taken. Please see exhibition website for more details.

"Devil Robots" have been getting a lot of attention from around the world lately, and are pleased to be curating this show, called "COUPLES". This exhibition will consist of 20 artists that Devil Robots have been keeping their eye on for some time. The 20 artists will be divided into 10 couples and collaborate on artwork together. Nobody knows which artist will be coupled with which, making this is an exciting event to look forward to! Maybe your favorite character will be transformed into something new! Original artwork ranging from 3D to 2D work will be on display. We definitely recommend that you come and see these unique pieces in person! *All the works are available for purchase.

Exhibiting the artist's innovative color Mezzotint work.

Nishimura Gallery is pleased to present Chieko Oshie’s new works from May 13th (Tue) to June 14 (Sat). This is the 5th and the newest exhibition of this highly praised artist. Oshie Chieko was born in Osaka in 1969 and completed her master at Kyoto City University of Arts in 1995. While she was still a student, Oshie gathered attention by applying oil pastels on all over her canvas. Ever since coming across American pokeweeds, she has drawn familiar weeds and wild flowers, establishing her original style of painting from which her affection and closeness to these subject matters emanate. In 2001, she won Takashimaya Charitable Trust for Art and Culture Prize, VOCA Prize and Kyoto City Art Prize. After winning these prizes, she traveled through Europe and started drawing not only plants but also landscapes. She then stayed in Belgium from 2003 to 2005 as a scholar from the Bereau of Cultural Properties, producing a lot of nude drawings which she later exhibited at Nishimura Gallery. The 2007 exhibition "In the Forest" showcased her oil pastel works that depicted the dense atmosphere of dark green forest and the mountain ranges of Kumano. This time, Oshie is introducing her new works (10 oil paintings and 10 drawings) on the theme of "the forest". While "Laughing Mountain” and "Beyond the Mountain" capture various appearances of forests, the works like "Minori” and "Tawawa" depict ripe persimmons and citrus junos hanging heavily on branches in folding-screen-like compositions. Ohie's work always reflects her polite attitude toward her subjects, conveying her exquisite sensibility. [Image: "Tawawa" (2008) oil & oil pastel on canvas, 80.5 x 116.7cm]

Reception: May 10th (Sat)

From the museum's Japanese painting collection, approximately 30 works by the representative modern Japanese painters will be on display. -Children Art Lecture "The World of Modern Japanese Paintings" Date & Time: June 8th (Sun) 14:00-15:00 (Doors close at 13:30) Location: Gotoh Museum Auditorium (50 seats in order of arrival) Fee: Free This event is intended for junior high and elementary school students only.

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)]

The most distinctive buildings completed by architect Tadashi Suga will be on display in photographs, showcasing the intended purpose of each building as well as how the architect responded to the client's particular brief.

Yuzo Saeki (1898-1928) was a painter who made a radiant mark in Japanese modern art history. Born in Osaka, Saeki learned painting in Tokyo Art University (present Tokyo University of the Arts). After moving to France at the age of 25, he met Maurice de Vlaminck, and this encounter changed his painting style. Although he had to move back to Japan once, he considered this period as "studying abroad" to Japan, ending up going back to Paris again with his family only to end 30 years of his life. This year marks the 110th anniversary of Saeki's birth, while it's also the 80th anniversary of his death. Even after so many years, his work still captivates countless people. Osaka City Museum of Modern Art Construction Preparation Room houses the biggest Saeki collection in Japan, centering on the collection of Hatsujiro Yamamoto, an great adherent of the artist. This exhibition showcases approximately 80 paintings mainly from Osaka City Museum Collection, tracing too short yet intense creative activities of the artist. [Image: "A Shoe Maker" (1927)]

Gallery Terra Tokyo is pleased announce to present the first exhibition in Japan by Lydia Venieri. "Her most recent work, No Evil, featured in this exhibition, focuses on tightly framed faces of dolls. Reflected in their oversized eyes are images drawn from a number of different sites of conflict - from the remains of the World Trade Center, to Guantanamo and Iraq. The naivete of the dolls is contradicted by the painful scenes they seem to witness. These works are both literal and metaphorical reflections on our immersion in contemporary media; at the same time, they reference classic Surrealist artists like Han Bellmer (who was also enamored of dolls) and Claude Cahun (who created a striking series of still life 'self-portraits')." -Beth E. Wilson, art historian, critic, and curator Reception for the artist: May 10th (Sat) 17:00-19:00 [Image: Lydia Venieri, "See no Evil, Speak no Evil, Hear no Evil," (2008), archival inkjet on polysatin, 76x152cm]

The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography is pleased to announce that it will be holding a two-part exhibition of the work of Daido Moriyama under the titles "Ⅰ. Retrospective 1965-2005" and "Ⅱ. Hawaii." Moriyama started working as a freelance photographer in 1963, publishing his ‘Yokosuka’ series in the ‘Camera Mainichi’ monthly magazine in 1965. He continued to publish his work in various photography magazines. The high-contrast, grainy images he produced during the sixties and seventies were often criticized as 'coarse, camera-shaken and blurred', but they were to cause a revolution in the Japanese photographic world. Constantly questioning the meaning of photography, all his photographic series -- "Japan, A Photo Theater" (1968), the controversial "Farewell Photography" (1972) which examined photographic expression, "Light and Shadow" (1982) which marked his comeback after a creative slump, and his latest, "Hawaii" (2007) -- all attracted much attention. Capturing daily life in the form of ‘snapshots’ taken in the street, his powerful works stir up emotions such as desire, loneliness and unease in the viewer. This exhibition comprises two sections, one tracing the career of this world-famous photographer and the other showing his current work. We hope that you will enjoy this opportunity to view the entire body of work of this unique photographer who explored the very essence of photography. -Floor Lecture The curator in charge will provide an explanation of the exhibits at 14:00 on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. Anybody with a valid entrance ticket for the day is welcome to attend. *Japanese only -Series of Discussions with Daido Moriyama May 23rd (Fri) 18:00-20:00 with Shinro Otake (artist) Moderator: Michiko Kasahara (curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography) May 24th (Sat) 18:00-20:00 with Koji Taki (art and photography critic) Moderator: Minoru Shimizu (associate professor, Doshisha University) May 30th (Sat) 18:00-20:00 with Shigenori Kanehira (journalist and president of TBS News) Moderator: Tomoko Okabe (curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography) ※Changes may be made to listed participants. ※For further details of the contents and participation, please refer to the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography official website. *Japanese only

CB Collection Roppongi is delighted to present "CB Janes", a group exhibition of female artists. Artists of different nationalities and ages are represented, including Marilyn Minter, who designed the catalog cover for the Whitney Biennale two years ago; Ghada Amer, an Egyptian artist who is currently showing at the Brooklyn Museum; as well as Japanese artists Chiho Aoshima and Ayako Rokkaku. These ten artists bring their varying styles and media to 29 works, each with their own special character that becomes all the more apparent by being exhibited side by side. [Image: Marilyn Minter, "Shit Kicker" (2006), 153x215.9cm, C-print ed.3]