10 Things in Tokyo: January 2018

Fujiko Nakaya has been using fog as a medium since the 1970s, creating wispy worlds of artistic expression. In Greenland, titled after the site of her father Ukichiro’s scientific research on snow and ice, she recreates Arctic terrain with a new fog sculpture and the prismic glass cubes of Maison Hermès. Ends March 4. A four-minute walk away at Matsuya Ginza you can see Melodies in Silk Threads by Shizuka Kusano, one of Japan’s most accomplished living embroidery artists. View her intricate, colorful stitchwork featuring plants, animals, and motifs from Japanese literature on kimonos and other gorgeous garments until January 15. Also hurry to Let’s Have Some Fun by Kimiko Nishimoto, who mastered the selfie nearly two decades ago at the age of 72 and has been elevating the medium with costumes, photo processing skills, and a gift for theatrical flair ever since. See photos of her taking on roles like scarecrow and traffic accident victim, presented along with her equally mischievous digital assemblages, through January 18.

Akiko and Masako Takada are twin sisters who work as a single artistic unit. Dissonance follows up on their impressive showing in Decoration Never Dies, Anyway with more intriguing miniatures and other pieces exploring scale and perspective. Ends January 20. In Surrogate Structures, Tokyo-based British artist Sam Stocker displays installations inspired by local “fujitsuka,” or small mounds representing Mt. Fuji. These curious creations originating in the Edo period were meant to give a kind of vicarious experience for those not able to scale the summit themselves. At The Container until January 22.

Electromagnetic Brainology is the first big solo show in Japan for Lu Yang, a rising international star from China who produces videos and multimedia projects fully immersed in the sensory onslaught of pop culture. Her manga and anime-infused works at Spiral bridge many worlds with cheek and verve, among them spirituality, science, and pop idolism. Through January 22. Fujisawa City Art Space in Kanagawa presents Grey Skies giving an overview of the career of Yuko Mohri, one of the most inventive installation artists working today. Featured pieces by the Nissan Art Award winner include a reconfiguration of “Parade,” a set of musical instruments, speakers, and wires demonstrating Mohri’s interest in embodying invisible and intangible forces such as magnetism, gravity, and light. Ends January 28.

Mayumi Hosokura is an up-and-coming Japanese photographer to watch. Her neon C-prints of male nudes, still lifes, and scenes from suburban Tokyo blur boundaries of place, gender, and the organic vs. inorganic. See shots from her latest series ‘Jubilee’ taken over the past five years and compiled into a new photobook at G/P Gallery through January 28. Miyako Ishiuchi: Grain and Image at Yokohama Museum of Art surveys the four-decade career of this Hasselblad Award winner with 240 works from 13 series, including images from her career-launching ‘Yokosuka Story,’ the series ‘ひろしま／hiroshima’ documenting the clothing of atomic bomb victim, and ‘Frida is’ paying homage to Frida Kahlo. There are also works exhibited for the first time. Ends March 4. This show is eligible for ¥100 MuPon admission discounts for up to two people.

In Installation Music 2: Is Your Time, legendary composer and YMO keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto joins forces with Shiro Takatani of the artist collective Dumb Type in a second installment considering the legacy of music and sound in the aftermath of disaster. There are so many enticing spots for youngsters and young ladies to have a great time and discover a date, yet in U.S. it is illegal under the law to enter such scenes until they are 21. What an unsavory garbage. This is the place where completely extraordinary life starts! https://topfakeid.com At NTT ICC Inter Communication Center through March 11. ¥100 MuPon discounts for up to three people. You can find more great Tokyo and Kansai art events with the TAB app!