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 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."

Fashion brand "Spoken Words Project" introduces a new kind of lifestyle in this exhibition entitled "Someone Read My Diary," featuring pieces that use their original fabrics, applied to Collex's sofa designs and clothes. The wooden, Swedish-made Drana Horse is decorated with paint, and t-shirts, pillows, and "eco" bags have been newly designed for this exhibition. This exhibition also presents Spoken Words Project's 2008/2009 Autumn and Winter collection.

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.

The popular "Mari Mokkori" character from Hokkaido is still alive and well... Taking as a motif the famed natural souvenir "Marimo" that lives by Lake Akanko in Hokkaido, the Mokkori craze continues unabated throughout Japan, with sales of CDs and animation DVDs continuing to soar... This "Mari Mokkori" exhibition at Logos Gallery commemorates the popularity of this adorable character. -Mini live performance by the much talked-about elementary school "Cori Cori" unit May 5th (Mon, national holiday) Children's Day 1st session 13:30-, 2nd session 15:30- Venue: Part 1, in front of the main entrance

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

Lithographic works by 5 artists, who are associated with Takao Okamura Project Exhbition, will be mainly on display. [Image: Yu Hara]

The 11th photography exhibition of art group MAYX.

-Talk Event "Toi & Masato" Guests: Masato Seto, Keizo Kitajima Date & Time: May 10th (Sat) 19:00- Fee: ¥1000 (Including 1 drink. Reservation required) Location: Place M For reservation and other information, please call the venue or use online reservation request form.

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

This yearly exhibition showcases prizewinning photographs by female photographers from Tokyo, Hokkaido and 17 eastern-Japan prefectures. All female participants, including children and students, are welcomed to submit their works to the photo contest held prior to this exhibition. Every year, powerful yet delicate works by a lot of female photographers are exhibited, amusing the visitors with their presence and capabilities. This open call exhibition aims to provide not only veterans but also budding female photographers with an opportunity to release the shutter, giving them a chance to foster fresh perspectives as well as to search for their own identities. Approximately 50 color and monochrome photographs will be on display. Please see exhibition website for more details.

-"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.

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]

A. R. Penck was born in the former East Germany. His work is rooted in primitive motifs and old representational symbols and words. Despite a large-scale solo exhibition of his work that was held at the Setagaya Art Museum in 1997-8, his work is still comparatively little known in Japan. This exhibition, in cooperation with his principal gallery in Cologne, Galerie Michael Werner, will present a selection of Penck's work, focusing particularly on his stick figures, with work from the 1970s to the present.

It has been 10 years since the opening of his workshop in Nerima, Tokyo. More than just a workspace and atelier, though, Yashima combined his living quarters with his ceramic practice in a single space. The reason for this is Yashima's gourmandizing tendencies, which feed off of and in turn stimulate his work, inspiring him to create beautiful vessels to serve food on. This exhibition, held in a book gallery, is Yashima's attempt at creating a certain impression of a work from a story. It was a much more enjoyable experience than he anticipated. Bit by bit, his work began to take on a whiff of the narrative, surrounded by all these wonderful stories arrayed on shelves standing alongside his pottery.

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

Isabelle Adjani as an enigmatic woman who disappears after killing a wealthy man.

[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]

Various kinds of glasses and lamp shades made of mosaic glass are on display.

For this exhibition, Uchida is showing around 25 mixed media works of acrylic, stone implements and pastels on paper, including some from a series entitled "Kaminariiwa Song Series". Sugawara will show around 150 pieces including Shigaraki ash-glazed earthenware pipes, ceramic vessels and flower vases.

Collaborative exhibition by two prominent illustrators. This year marks their sixth collaboration.

Talk event: Nao Tsuda and Atsunobu Katagiri May 10th (Sat) 19:00- Fee: ¥1000 A talk event and slideshow given by Katagiri, a flower arrangement artist and director of Shusui Shobo bookshop will be held. To attend, please see website for details.

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]

[Image: Previous installation view]

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

This artist has gained a broad fan base for her depictions of mysterious scenes lurking in daily urban scenes. This is her first solo exhibition comprising large scale paintings. Sleeping people can be found in her works of parks and highways, as the title indicates. These sleeping people are all completely exposed and sleeping as if gazing at the endless sky above. Her paintings are composed of bold colors and express a mysterious world, balanced between suggested disorder and a premonition of quietude to follow.

The human figures depicted in the works of Tai Ogawa are far from what we could conceivably call human beings - rather, they are mere motifs that are often imbued with animalistic qualities. The use of vivid colors in these images of "human beings" emphasizes their monstrous quality, suggesting the cruel, possibly barbaric side of humanity. Ogawa renders abnormality into visible form, undermining what could be behind what we see, and how we appear. This is Ogawa's first solo exhibition at this gallery, presenting a series of works consisting of cutout faces. Opening Party: April 5th from 20:00

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.

A selection of 47 items that reflect the new landscape of Claska will be on display at Gallery & Shop "DO" - inheriting the past with sights set on the future, people and the objects that surround them, craftsmanship and artisanal skill. Taking the theme of "contemporary Japanese" style, fresh-feeling products that represent the best of Japanese sensibilities will be displayed - from precisely-wrought crafts by master artisans to industrial products assembled on factory lines and cutting edge software. You might even say that the talented people behind these products are themselves the best "product" Japan has to offer. Or, taking another spin on the issue, that "Japan" is a composite of all these different products. Also on display: "Oumi hemp cloth, from the Edo era to the present" The Oumi hemp industry boasts a proud 500 years of tradition. Hemp researcher and expert Shinichiro Yoshida will illustrate the history of hemp woven into cloth using traditional artisanal techniques, selecting and displaying "white"-themed products in both Edo and contemporary styles.

This exhibition showcases the richness, quality and volume of the museum's collection, which includes about 10,000 pieces primarily of modern Japanese art. The exhibition will present works that are normally difficult to get displayed. Simultaneous exhibitions will be held at the Hayama, Kamakura and Kamakura annex museums, which altogether will number about 500-600 works. [Image: Tamako Kataoka "Hokusai Katsushika」(1971)]

This exhibition showcases the richness, quality and volume of the museum's collection, which includes about 10,000 pieces primarily of modern Japanese art. The exhibition will present works that are normally difficult to get displayed. Simultaneous exhibitions will be held at the Hayama, Kamakura and Kamakura annex museums, which altogether will number about 500-600 works.

Selected works from the large collection of the Museum of Modern Art, Hayama, the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, and Kamakura Annex will be exhibited simultaneously. Around 500 to 600 works will be on display in total. Related Events "Kanagawa Museum Tour Guided by the Museum Director" (1) April 5th (Sat) 10:00-15:00 Toshio Yamanashi x Noriaki Kitazawa (art critic) (2) March 3rd (Sat) 10:00-15:00 Toshio Yamanashi x Kunio Motoe (professor/ Tama Art University, director/ Fuchu Art Museum) Location & Schedule: 10:00-11:00 Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura (meet at the admission) 11:30-12:00 Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura Annex (meet at 1F entrance) 14:00-15:00 Museum of Modern Art, Hayama (meet at the entrance) *Participants are responsible for traveling between venues by public transportation. (JR: Kamakura to Izu ¥150, Bus ¥240/ one way) Capacity: 30 people each No additional cost required to attend this trip. Reservations required. Booking: Send fax to 046-875-2968, "Museum Tour" desk. Reserve by April 1st (Tue) for Tour (1) and by the 29th (Tue) for Tour (2). "Gallery Talk by Museum Curator" April 19th (Sat) 15:00-, May 10th (Sat) 15:00 No reservation required. Free. Exhibition ticket required.

Second Bunako exhibition, featuring popular tableware series, in addition to footbath buckets and kitchen accessories. These will be on display and for sale. In addition, the Yauatcha Tea Set, designed by Shin Azumi, which was awarded the Homes and Gardens Classic Design Award (UK), as well as selected to be part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's permanent collection, will be on display. Reception party: May 9th 19:00-21:00

There are currently eight research laboratories devoted to engraving, hammering, casting, lacquerware, ceramics, dyeing and weaving, woodwork and glassware, allowing instructors in each department to make free use of various materials and techniques to pursue their artistic practices as a regular working artist. The distinguishing trait of craft is that it makes practical, instrumental uses of materials and techniques, while also requiring that those processes lead to something feasible and applicable. Craft is fundamentally the result of the handmade, of firsthand contact with the material, which must then be cultivated and molded, in order to tap the latent energy inherent in the craft being made. The theme of "contemplating crafts" in this exhibition is a chance to reconsider the singular appeal of artisanal techniques that give shape and form to something through manual flourishes, enabling various possibilities of expression to come about through a creative process that is by turns joyful and worrisome, the artisan's mood shifting just as the colors and shapes of his material do. There is also an accompanying exhibition "Craft Art Exhibition" where some of the participating artists in the main exhibition show their works which can be purchased. Dates: Apr 22 (Tue) - May 25 (Sun), 2008 Closed on Mondays (Except: Open on May 5 (Mon); Closed on May 7 (Wed)) Hours: 10:00-18:00 Place: Geidai Art Plaza (located in the University precinct) Admission: Free

The Drunk Salaryman Photo Exhibition! Live music by Douglas Lee from China, DJ's Touch of Pink, Crustacean, Miki, and Photo Exhibition of Drunk Salaryman by Scott Larson. Free entry, and wear a tie around your head for a free glass of wine!

During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate was patron to artists from the Kano and Sumiyoshi schools as well as folk etching and ukiyo-e artists, all of whom were frequently commissioned for work. Before long, an artistic exchange that transcended the boundaries between warrior and commoner began to gain momentum, and many masterpieces emerged from a process of mutual inspiration among artists of different stripes, contributing to the lively flowering of Edo artistic culture. In this exhibition, pieces from the museum's collection that reflected both public and private will be on display. In addition, folding screens will be on view at the "zashiki (Japanese tatami room) corner." Related events: Talk series on Japanese Art Experts on various fields of art represented in the museum's collection will be invited to share their expertise with the audience. April 12th (Sat) "Tawaraya Sotatsu" Keiko Nakamachi (professor, Jissen Women's University) April 26th (Sat) "The joy of Edo paintings" Satoru Sakakibara (professor, Gunma Prefectural Women's University) May 3rd (Sat) "Harunobu Suzuki" Tadao Kobayashi (professor, Gakushuin University) May 5th (Mon, national holiday) "Hikone folding screens and Kano Naganobu" Taizo Kuroda (chief curator, Idemitsu Museum) May 10th (Sat) "Muromachi era Sumi ink paintings and the West: on the trail of Kanto Sumi paintings" Masahiko Aizawa (professor, Seijo University) May 17th (Sat) "The 18th century Kyoto art world" Yasuhiro Sato (professor, Tokyo University) Each talk starts at 14:00 and lasts for 2 hours. Takes place in the lecture hall of the museum. Admission is free and available to the first 100 visitors.

The Forbidden City in Beijing was for over 500 years the symbol of China's splendor and even looked upon as something like the center of the universe. Up until the Qing dynasty ended in 1911, it was also the emperor's residence for more than 24 generations, the seat of government and the largest palace in the world. At the time, entry was denied to commoners, and until recently, the City was shrouded in a veil of mystery. Then, in 1900, the palace was photographed in detail by Kazuma Ogawa, perhaps best known for his photograph of Natsume Soseki printed on the thousand-yen note. These vintage Ogawa prints will be displayed alongside photographs of the Forbidden City by Hou Yuanchao as it stands today.

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

Group exhibition of artists from different generations and working in different styles, 2D works and paintings. This time, the artists have split the exhibition into two periods among themselves according to whether they are "drinking at the beach" types or "drinking in the jungle" types (of course, some of them are teetotalers).

This is a retrospective exhibition on landscape artist Kaii Higashiyama, born in 1908. He established a unique style characterized by planarity and simplicity as can be seen in his representative work "path," after graduating from Tokyo Art University, studying in Germany and showing in the Bunten exhibition. He continued on to leave a deep impression in the postwar Nihon-ga field through works such as the partition paintings at Toshodaiji Temple Mieido Hall that are clear and understandable yet deeply spiritual. His works emerged from his most intimate emotions and a thorough contemplation of nature, and followed the times at the same time as being rooted in Japanese tradition. This exhibition features approximately 100 representative works and 53 sketches and studies presented in seven parts for an in-depth study of this artist lifework. [Image: "Path" (1950) National Museum of Modern Art collection]

This exhibition displays various works on the theme of the goddess Venus, dating from antiquity through the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. The exhibition, with its selection of approximately 70 paintings, sculptures, and decorative art works, reveals how the myth of Venus stimulated and inspired the artists of antiquity. It will also consider ways in which Venus iconography was revived and developed during the Renaissance resurrection of classical culture. Thanks to the generous cooperation of the Florence Museums Association, we have been able to include the Venere di Urbino, a masterpiece by the major Venetian painter Titian, from the Uffizi Gallery. Images of Venus from other districts of Italy will also be displayed in this exhibition. [Image: Titian “Venus of Urbino” (1538) Oil on canvas, 119 × 165ccm Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence Photo: Antonio Quattrone]

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

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...

The history of European printmaking goes back to the later 14th century. Woodcuts are the earliest printmaking technique, and from as early as the 15th century, copperplates began to be used to create even more detailed prints. As the Renaissance spread throughout Europe, printmaking became part of the culture, playing a prominent role in the development of religion, literature, politics, ethics, geography, science and other aspects of society. From the Renaissance to modern times, this exhibition presents prints by major European artists. Included artists are Dürer from 15th century Germany, Pieter Brueghel from 16th century Flanders, Rembrandt from 17th century Holland, Goya from 18th century Spain, Redon and Beardsley from the 19th century, and finally Rouault, Picasso, and Escher from the 20th century. Related Events: -Gallery talk "Focusing on Old Prints" April 13th (Sun) 15:00-16:00 Gallery 2F Introduction to symbolism and techniques in prints from the early periods. Lecturer: Michiko Sagawa (Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts) Admission ticket for this exhibition required. -Lecture "Introduction to Printmaking Techniques" April 20th (Sun) 13:00-15:00 Workshop room, 3F An introduction to the history and techniques of printmaking with a simple workshop. Lecturer: Seiichiro Miita (Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music) For high school students and above. Capacity: 30 people Fee: Free Reservation required. Send a reply-paid postcard to the museum's education department with your name, address, phone number, age, and desired workshop title by April 7th (Mon). -Gallery Talk by a Museum Curator April 26th (Sat) 15:00-15:40 Gallery 2F Admission ticket for this exhibition required.

Two designers, Thibaut Rocher (product & craft designer, based in Paris and Tokyo) and Hiroshi Endo (fashion designer, based in Tokyo and New York) will exhibit their collaborative installation of handmade candles, natural soaps and other casted products as well as organic cotton jeans and t-shirts. *This exhibition is at "Happa" located inside the Aoyama｜Meguro gallery.

"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.

Asia's biggest international art event "Design Festa" with over 60,000 people attending! Design Festa is a freestyle International Art Event open to all artists, both professional and non-professional from all over the world to exhibit their creative talent. Design Festa started in 1994 and as of December 2006 it has successfully completed 25 events as well as 3 sub-events. This art event is held twice a year at Tokyo Big Sight, the biggest event hall in Japan. Design Festa is the ideal place for passionate artists who are looking for a great opportunity to show their artwork to a very large audience from all over the world.

Two-dimensional works using dye techniques.

Keith Haring blazed a trail through the 80's and died at 31 after only about a decade-long career as an artist. The prolific body of work he left behind had an intuitive sense of frenzy, attempting to change the future into dream, while at the same time full of the energy of life. Alongside pop images of dreams and hope that sets one free, there is also something of the artist's madness and chaos in Haring's work. These ambiguities challenge the legendary reputation enjoyed by Haring, especially with respect to the New York street culture, speaking equally to those of that period, as well as to the generation to whom the 80's remain largely unknown. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Haring's birth. The Nakamura Keith Haring Museum, which opened last year, is hosting the special exhibition "It is art as I know it. It is life as I know it. -Dream, Love, Hope and Peace" in memory of him. As a part of this commemorative program, Ars Gallery is holding a Keith Haring exhibition centering on his prints. The 7 prints on display exude a sense of immediacy and vigor that also reflects the artist's deft technique. [Image: "Andy Mouse" (1986) Silkscreen 97.5 × 97.5cm]

Part 1 "Breakfast & Open Studio" April 26th (Sat) - May 2nd (Fri) 8:00-12:00 Part 2 "Exhibition & Open Studio" May 3rd (Sat) - 18th (Sun) 12:00-20:00

Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art changes their permanent collection display four times a year. The current exhibition in the main building presents works by artists that are from or lived in Yamanashi, depicting beautiful and graceful scenes in spring. In the Western art gallery, prints by German expressionist Kathe Kollwitz and Ernst Barlach and paintings by Millet and other Barbizon school painters are on display.

Takada has produced environmental sculptures in Asia, America, and Russia. His large-scale work exists in harmony with the ponds, rivers and deserts around them.

"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.