Yoshino "It Was Here."
Shimokitazawa Arts
Until Dec 28
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Artists
Yoshino
Shimokitazawa Arts is pleased to present It Was Here., a solo exhibition by Yoshino.
Born in Osaka in 2001, Yoshino graduated from the Department of Oil Painting at Kyoto City University of Arts in 2025 and is currently enrolled in the university’s Graduate School, also in Oil Painting. This exhibition marks the artist’s first solo presentation in Tokyo.
Yoshino has gained attention on social media for works depicting Sylvanian Families placed in everyday settings—parks, elevators, bathrooms—rendered with remarkable expressive skill. The artist’s graduation project this year was an ambitious large-scale painting featuring human-sized Sylvanian characters in an arcade. Although the scene pairs adorable figures with a fun environment, an elusive sense of unease and the masterful depiction of artificial light left a striking impression.
Since entering graduate school, Yoshino has begun creating works featuring a handmade papier-mâché rabbit as part of a deeper inquiry into personal expression. Ordinary, real-life landscapes—roadsides, phone booths, vending machines—are depicted alongside a charming rabbit. It may resemble the playful trend of taking stuffed animals out into the world, yet the presence of an oversized rabbit introduces a subtle dissonance. Is the rabbit smiling, or is it crying? Viewers may each perceive it differently, depending on their own circumstances.
Yoshino’s beautifully crafted yet unsettling works suggest the fragility of reality—that our everyday life might not exist as it is had something been even slightly different—and simultaneously evoke a sense of wonder at the miracle of the present moment. Scenes we usually overlook become quietly special. Welcome to the parallel world Yoshino creates.
Born in Osaka in 2001, Yoshino graduated from the Department of Oil Painting at Kyoto City University of Arts in 2025 and is currently enrolled in the university’s Graduate School, also in Oil Painting. This exhibition marks the artist’s first solo presentation in Tokyo.
Yoshino has gained attention on social media for works depicting Sylvanian Families placed in everyday settings—parks, elevators, bathrooms—rendered with remarkable expressive skill. The artist’s graduation project this year was an ambitious large-scale painting featuring human-sized Sylvanian characters in an arcade. Although the scene pairs adorable figures with a fun environment, an elusive sense of unease and the masterful depiction of artificial light left a striking impression.
Since entering graduate school, Yoshino has begun creating works featuring a handmade papier-mâché rabbit as part of a deeper inquiry into personal expression. Ordinary, real-life landscapes—roadsides, phone booths, vending machines—are depicted alongside a charming rabbit. It may resemble the playful trend of taking stuffed animals out into the world, yet the presence of an oversized rabbit introduces a subtle dissonance. Is the rabbit smiling, or is it crying? Viewers may each perceive it differently, depending on their own circumstances.
Yoshino’s beautifully crafted yet unsettling works suggest the fragility of reality—that our everyday life might not exist as it is had something been even slightly different—and simultaneously evoke a sense of wonder at the miracle of the present moment. Scenes we usually overlook become quietly special. Welcome to the parallel world Yoshino creates.
Schedule Now in session | Dec 12 (Fri) 2025-Dec 28 (Sun) 2025 10 days left Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://shimokitazawaarts.tokyo/en/yoshino_itwashere_en/ | ||||
| Venue | Shimokitazawa Arts https://shimokitazawaarts.tokyo/en/home-english/ | ||||
| Location | 1F, 1-40-9 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0031 | ||||
| Access | 4 minute walk from the East exit of Shimokitazawa Station on the Odakyu Odawara or Keio Inokashira line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-6804-7636 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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