ART FAIR TOKYO 2022

NUKAGA GALLERY is pleased to announce our participation in Art Fair Tokyo 2022.

The gallery has been actively reevaluating post-war female artists. As a part of this, we will introduce the works of two artists, Saori Akutagawa (Madokoro) and Takako Araki, who developed their own unique expressions in the same period.

Akutagawa, born in Aichi Prefecture in 1924, studied vocal music at the university. However, whilst experiencing a life of a patriarchal marriage to a composer, she began dyeing and painting mostly on her own in around 1950 as a means of expressing herself. She painted series of “Woman” and “Myths” which caught people’s eye for their bold and unique expression. After returning from the U.S., she mainly produced abstract oil paintings, and while new developments were expected, she unfortunately passed away at the age of only 42. In recent years, she is now spotlighted as an important artist and her works have been featured in a large-scale retrospective exhibition at the Yokosuka Museum of Art as well as an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Araki, born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1921, was the second daughter of the head of the Misho school of ikebana, but was not satisfied with its traditional world. Like Akutagawa, she then began creating glass objects and paintings in the 1950s. She flew to the U.S. in 1961 and after returning to Japan, she started her carrier as a ceramic artist. From 1971 she created the “Bible” series of silkscreened ceramics. Araki’s works, which evoke the major themes of human beings and religion, have attracted attention both in Japan and abroad. Her works are also in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Whilst having their original ways of expression, both Akutagawa and Araki were able to expand their art through their experiences at New York, the city of cutting-edge art scene of its time. In our exhibition, we will be focusing on Akutagawa’s abstract oil paintings after her move to the U.S. and Araki’s “Bible” series, which she worked on throughout her life. Through the eyes of these two artists, we hope you will come and see the diversity of post-war art in Japan.

We look forward to seeing you at booth S021.

★More Information ⇒ http://artfairtokyo.com/