+PLUS Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair / Sceneries

+PLUS Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair was held from November 19 [Fri.] to 21 [Sun.]. HIRO GALLERY displayed 21 prints and 4 sculptures by Chimei Hamada.















They got a good reputation even from small children.











Thank you very much for coming.

"The open mind of Lafcadio Hearn" / Introduced on the Nov. 5th issue of The Japan Times

The on-going exhibition, “Art Exhibition: THE OPEN MIND OF LAFCADIO HEARN - HOMAGE TO LAFCADIO HEARN -” in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture was introduced on the art column of the Nov. 5th issue of The Japan Times. It is an interesting article including from the details about the realization of this exhibition, to some comments on the exhibited works. It’s also appeared in the website of The Japan Times below.



“A journey inside the mind of Lafcadio Hearn”
By LISA GAY and FINTAN MONAGHAN
The Japan Times, 5th Novemver, 2010



Changing its venue to Karakoro Art Studio & Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum today, this exhibition is held by Nov. 14th [Sun.]. From HIRO GALLERY, Shoko Imano’s work is exhibited. Please look and enjoy the exhibition.



“THE OPEN MIND OF LAFCADIO HEARN” Official Website



Website of HIRO GALLERY: Shoko Imano

Chimei Hamada from HIRO GALLERY / +PLUS Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair

“+PLUS Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair” is going to be held at the Tobi Art Forum (3rd and 4th floors in Tokyo Art Club Bldg.) from November 19th [Fri.] to 21st [Sun.]

+PLUS Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair



From HIRO GALLERY, The works by Chimei Hamada are exhibited, whose large exhibition was held at the Museum of Modern Art, Hayama from this July to September.

"The World of HAMADA Chimei - Elegy and Humor in Prints and Sculptures - " at The Museum of Modern Art, Hayama



Chimei Hamada is one of the leading print maker and sculptor in Japan, and keeps making art works vigorously although he is 92 years old now. His works were exhibited at the Ⅳ Mostra Internazionale di Bianco e Nero 1956-Lugano. Elegy for a New Conscript: Sentinel received the second prize. And in 1979, Albertina National Museum of Art, Vienna, Austria organized Chimei Hamada Exhibition where self-nominated 100 copper prints were displayed. In 2008, his works were placed at Uffizi Gallery in Florence and became the first Japanese Artist whose works were placed there. Uffizi Gallery organized Chimei Hamada exhibition which is the first Japanese artist’s one-man show. His achievements are highly praised worldwide.




Uffizi Museum – View of the Exhibition



Chimei Hamada’s art works are mainly divided into two categories. One category is war-related. He accuses harsh reality he experienced in his 20’s solder life. Another one is the works that satirizes the absurdity and ugliness in our daily life humorously.





Ghost Brought Back to Life
etching, aquatint / 30.8×21.6cm / 1956

Half of it being sunk, a battleship emerges under the sea. Its cannon barrel is tangled by seashells and garbage and it leans miserably. The sail of the ship became a military man from the middle of it, seashells are attaching to the breast instead of the medals, and his skull is barely shown. However, he sticks out his chest, the left eye looks strongly into the void and there is a large beard on his poor looking head. Although both the military man and battleship have already been nonliving, as if not being aware of the fact, they overawed the surroundings. It’s a sad but silly scene, and in the same time, we can sense a kind of frightfulness.





Man Examining a "Masterpiece?"
bronze / 29.5×29.0×13.0cm / 2000

From 1980’s, Chimei Hamada has also started making sculptures. It is a work that a man who has empty head, wearing a stethoscope, “examines” also an empty painting. It caricatures the tendency in the art scene. When looking art works, not trying to look at the works as they are, some people “examine” them. “Is painting so uninteresting and difficult?” As if we can hear the artist’s question.



Please come and enjoy the exhibition.



+PLUS Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair

Tobi Art Forum (3rd and 4th floors in Tokyo Art Club Bldg.)
6-19-15 Shimbashi Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004, Japan Map
TEL:+81-3-3432-0191
FAX:+81-3-3431-7606

November　19 [Fri.] 16：00～20：00
　　　　　　20 [Sat.] 11：00～20：00
　　　　　　21 [Sun.] 11：00～17：00

Booth No. of HIRO GALLERY : 4-18

Feature article of Yakumo Koizumi / Morning paper of Nikkei Shimbun on October 16 [Sat.]

"The open mind of Lafcadio Hearn" is being held at Matsue Castle and Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. HIRO GALLERY exhibits Shoko Imano's work in this exhibition.



Matsue Castle



Shoko Imano "Shirt"


This year marks 160th anniversary of his birth and 120th of his arrival in Japan so he is getting a lot of attention. Morning paper of Nikkei Shimbun on October 16 [Sat.] featured his accomplishments and the overview of this exhibition. Please check it out.





Webpage of HIRO GALLERY / Information

The Open Mind of Lafcadio Hearn: Homage to Lafcadio Hearn (Art Exhibition)

Art Exhibition / THE OPEN MIND OF LAFCADIO HEARN / HOMAGE TO LAFCADIO HEARN

From October 10 [Sun.] to November 14 [Sun.] “Art Exhibition / THE OPEN MIND OF LAFCADIO HEARN / HOMAGE TO LAFCADIO HEARN” is going to be held. From HIRO GALLERY, Shoko Imano’s work is exhibited.





Web page of 120th anniversary of Lafcadio Hearn’s Arrival in Japan



Born in Greece, traveling all over the world, Yakumo Koizumi (Lafcadio Hearn) eventually reached Japan and settled here. He is a well-known writer and teacher in Japan. To pay homage to his unchained spirit, about 60 international and domestic artists' works are exhibited in Matsue Castle, Karakoro Art Studio and Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum.




Matsue Castle



Marking its 400th anniversary next year, Matsue Castle has a long history. This exhibition is a unique one using 3rd and 4th floor of the keep.




ART OSAKA 2010



Shoko Imano consistently inquires into the expression of “border.” He stayed in Rome, Italy, at the Coming Artists Overseas Study Program of Cultural Affairs Agency for one year from 2008 to 2009. His oil painting immersed in the bathtub got a lot of attention in ART OSAKA this July. In this exhibition, he exhibits a work inspired by the style of Yakumo Koizumi, who lived over various borders at that time. Below is the comment by the artist.



I presented Lafcadio Hearn's lifestyle, which spans the differences between countries, cultures and races, as well as the tracks of physical and spiritual comings and goings in each domain, using a shirt as the material, together with my concept, "domain of border."




Shirt / 97.0 × 145.5 cm / oil on canvas / 2010



Please enjoy the exhibition.



Hours

Donjon of Matsue Castle: 8:30-17:00 (last admission 16:30)
Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum: 8:30-17:00 (last admission 16:40)
Karakoro Art Studio: 9:30-18:00 (last admission 17:30)
*Opens at 14:00 on 10th October.
*Closing time will be 21:00 (last admission 20:30) on the 10th, 11th, 16th and 17th of October, when there will be Matsue Suitoro Festival.

Admission Fees

Donjon of Matsue Castle: adult ¥550 (foreigners ¥280)
Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum: adult ¥300 (foreigners ¥140)
Karakoro Art Studio: Free

Ariake Museum of Art “Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition” Being held

From September 10 [Fri.], in Ariake Museum of Art (Azumino City, Nagano), 30th anniversary special exhibition “Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition -Persistence and Liberation on the Sepia-” is being held.



Special page of this exhibition in the web page of HIRO GALLERY




Ariake Museum of Art



Ariake Museum of Art is a private museum making its 30th anniversary this year. Director Ei MATSUMURA wanted Osuke, who has deep relationship with Shinshu, known in Azumino, Nagano prefecture. Her strong passion made this exhibition possible.




“Research Sketches in China”




“Research Sketches in China” 2



This exhibition features “Research Sketches in China” made when he was a military painter to China,




“Notes”



“Notes,” the art-study notebooks written over 30 years from 1950’s and




“Sepia Series”




“Sepia Series” 2



“Sepia Series” of oil paintings drawn in Germany from 1970 to 1971 for the only one-man show before his death. Not only his works as a painter, but also his whole accomplishments are introduced in this exhibition. Reference materials are also rich such as Osuke’s favorite pallet, photographs taken in China during war, magazines he drew illustrations for or edited and so on.




Reference materials



Osuke’s fierce but simple paintings looked wonderful in the Ariake Museum of Art, which well fits in the surrounded nature. From the opening day, a lot of attendance came there. The exhibition is going to be held until October 11 [Mon.]. Please enjoy the exhibition.



≪Many media introduced this exhibition.≫

Mainichi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
Chunichi Shimbun
Shinano Mainichi Shimbun
And so forth.


The webpage of Ariake Museum of Art

Ariake Museum of Art 30th anniversary memorial exhibition
Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition -Persistence and Liberation on the Sepia-

Venue：　　　　Ariake Museum of Art, Azumino in Nagano
Term：　　　　 September 10 [Fri.] ～ October 11 [Mon.] 　※ Open everyday during the exhibition
Time：　　　　 9:00 - 17:00
Host:　　　　　Ariake Museum of Art
Cooperator：　 Okawa Museum of Art, TOSON MEMORIAL MUSEUM, HIRO GALLERY, Sosuke Shimazaki

Special page of the Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition held in Feb. 2010 in HIRO GALLERY

Ariake Museum of Art 30th anniversary memorial exhibition "Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition -Persistence and Liberation on the Sepia-"

Marking its 30th anniversary, Ariake Museum of Art holds a special exhibition “Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition -Persistence and Liberation on the Sepia-.”



in Mölln
oil on canvas / 72.7×91.0cm / 1970


Osuke Shimazaki passed away at the age of 83 in 1992, but his works were rarely revealed to the public. He was a kind of “Phantom Painter,” whose one-man exhibition was held only once in1971. Nevertheless, his footsteps of life in the era of significant change, study of art on his “Note” that reached 164 volumes and the works including oil paintings in sepia tell something very strongly to us, who live in the modern society. His one-man exhibitions were held at Okawa Museum of Art in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture in 2002, HIRO GALLERY in Ginza, Tokyo in February 2010. The historic value of his accomplishments is gradually re-evaluated.


This exhibition displays the “Sepia Series” of oil paintings drawn in Germany in 1970, “Research Sketches” made when he was a military painter to China, and a persistent study of art on his “Notes,” the notebooks made even though he weren’t able to work as a painter. All of them are shown together in this special exhibition, so we can approach “Osuke Shimazaki” as a human from various angles. Osuke lived out his turbulent life, so the way of his life will indicate various things to us whom also live in an upheaval age.



The webpage of Ariake Museum of Art

Ariake Museum of Art 30th anniversary memorial exhibition
Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition -Persistence and Liberation on the Sepia-

Venue：　　　　Ariake Museum of Art, Azumino in Nagano
Term：　　　　 September 10 [Fri.] ～ October 11 [Mon.] 　※ Open everyday during the exhibition
Time：　　　　 9:00 - 17:00
Host:　　　　　Ariake Museum of Art
Cooperator：　 Okawa Museum of Art, TOSON MEMORIAL MUSEUM, HIRO GALLERY, Sosuke Shimazaki

Special page of the Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition held in Feb. 2010 in HIRO GALLERY