“Prayer and Festival – PRAYER and CELEBRATION” is a joint exhibition of bilingual art information magazine “ONBEAT” and art project production group “WATOWA GALLERY”

From Monday, January 10 to Sunday, January 16, 2022, a joint exhibition “PRAYER and CELEBRATION -” was held by onbeat, a bilingual art information magazine that introduces Japanese art and culture to borderless, mainly contemporary art, and WATOWA GALLERY, an art project production group. It will be held at the alternative space “elephant STUDIO” located in Shibuya 2-chome.

 

 

This exhibition, which was planned with the resonance of “ONBEAT” and WATOWA GALLERY, re-looks at the essence of “prayer” in the Wiz Corona era, questions the state of “festival”, and questions the form of new “prayer” and “festival” in the post-corona era, contemporary artist Yuki Dechi, ceramic artist Toru Ichikawa, photographer Tokuhisa Ichimura, We will exhibit and sell works by fashion designer Ryunosuke Okazaki.

Please pay attention to the exhibition full of “prayers and festivals” suitable for the beginning of 2022.

STATEMENT

The theme of the exhibition is “Prayer and Festival” as the title. 

Japan has a history like no other in the world, and its contents are extremely diverse. However, due to the pandemic, many traditional festivals throughout Japan were forced to cancel for the first time in a long history, and the festive space disappeared from everyday life. In this exhibition, in the Whiz Corona era, we will re-look at the essence of “prayer” through art, question the state of the ruined “festival”, and ask the new form of “prayer” and “festival” for the post-corona era. The rhythm of Japanese festivals and Kagura is “On Beat” with an accent on odd beats. “ONBEAT”, whose rhythm is in the company name and the media name, selected four artists to delve into the theme of this exhibition.

I hope that you will experience the new world of prayer and festivals woven by their expressions at the beginning of 2022.

Hirotaka Fujita, Editor-in-Chief of ONBEAT

　　　

The first exhibition in 2022 was held in collaboration with ONBEAT, a media that widely captures ART/CULTURE and continues to disseminate “Japan”.

Onbeat representative Fujita met on a VIP tour of DESIGNART that WATOWA GALLERY participated in. The more we exchanged conversations about watowa’s concept, the fashion industry, and the ART industry, the more we resonated with each other’s ideas, attitudes, and the future. At the same time, if ONBEAT and WATOWA GALLERY collaborate, what kind of curation will Fujita do? What kind of world view can be created together? Based on such excitement, I asked for curation.

And this time. It was onbeat and watowa-like, and it was a wonderful curation. It is a suitable exhibition for the beginning of 2022, when “FASHION”, “ART”, “Tradition” and “Now” are packed. We hope that you will see it.

Watowa Gallery Representative Takahiro Komatsu

OUTLINE

ONBEAT / WATOWA GALLERY
Prayer and Festival – PRAYER and CELEBRATION – 

Date Monday, January 10 – Sunday, January 16, 2022
Time 12:00 – 19:00
Location elephant STUDIO 1,2F (2-7-4 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
Admission fee from 500 yen (tax included) / Advance reservation required from the following URL
https://artsticker.app/share/events/1022
*Free viewing on Thursday, January 13
* Donation system to determine the amount by yourself. For details, please refer to the WATOWA GALLERY Event page.

Organizer WATOWA GALLERY

Event Page
http://www.watowa.jp/news/2021/12/onbeat-watowa-gallery—prayer-and-celebration–.html

Instagram.　　@watowagallery
CONTACT.　　info@watowa.jp *Email only

ARTISTS
 

Yuki Nooki Deguchi IDEGUCHI

In 2013, he graduated from The Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Majoring in Painting. In 2013, he went to the United States and collaborated around the world, and now has a studio in Kyoto. In 2020, he has held many solo exhibitions, including “Still Alive” (Shinjuku Takashimaya / Tokyo, Takashimaya Kyoto store), “Plop Hokusai Manga × Yuki IDEGUCHI” (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store / Tokyo), and “Art is Inside You” (Seibu Art Forum / Tokyo). 2021 ARTiVERS DAZAIFU 2021 (Kyushu National Museum / Fukuoka), KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI. PASSAGES… (National Gallery of Krakow / Poland) and many other group exhibitions and art fairs. “Same Thing” (Hoshino Gen) In charge of artwork for CD jacket.

HP. https://ideguchiyuki.com/
IG. @yuki_ideguchi　FB. @yuki.ideguchi.1

 

Toru Ichikawa TORU ICHIKAWA

potter. Born in Tokyo in 1973. Studied under Ryuichi Kakuzaki in 2011 and became independent in 2015. He has held many solo exhibitions at large department stores in Japan, including Nihonbashi Takashimaya, Yokohama Takashimaya, Osaka Daimaru, and Tenmaya. 2017 “Art Beijing” (Beijing), “Revelations International Fine Craft Craft Creation Biennial” (Paris), 2018 “Asia Contemporary Art Show Fall 2018 Edition” (Hong Kong), “Art Fair Tokyo”, 2019 “Art Fair Asia Fukuoka” He has participated in many group exhibitions and art fairs. In 2020, “Craft as Art × Space Design” was held at Creative Meets of Tanseisha Head Office. In 2017, Kamigamo Shrine Shiki-nien Sengu Project Kurotenme Tea Whisky “Kagudo” dedication.

HP. http://www.toru6212.tokyo/
IG. @toru6212ichikawa　TW. @TOORU32　FB. @tougeika6212

 

Tokuhisa Ichimura NORIHISA ICHIMURA

photographer. Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1979. After graduating from The Osaka University of Arts and Sciences, he worked in Tokyo, Shanghai, and New York, and is currently based in Tokyo. 2012 “Iris” (M50, Peninsula 1919 Japanese Culture Village/ Shanghai), 2013 “Flower Eclipse” (Kokuyo Gallery/ Shanghai), 2018 “Chrysanthemum” “Rock and Chrysanthemum” (Gallery Sugata / Kyoto), 2019 “Still” (Leisure Center / Vancouver), 2020   He has held many solo exhibitions, including “Craft as Art× Space Design” (Tanseisha Office Creative Booth Gallery/ Tokyo). In 2020, he and ceramic artist Toru Ichikawa participated in many group exhibitions including “Rock and Chrysanthemum” (Takashimaya, Yokohama).

HP. https://norihisaichimura.com/
IG. @norihisaichimura　TW. @Ichimu_Nori　FB. @norihisa.ichimura

 

Ryunosuke Okazaki Ryunosuke Okazaki 

fashion designer. Born in Hiroshima prefecture in 1995. In 2021, he graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Majoring in Design. In 2021, he held a solo exhibition at “Pray” (Imperial Hotel Plaza Tokyo). In 2021, he participated in many group exhibitions such as “KUMA Exhibition” (tokyobike tokyo) and “Gunma Youth Biennale” (The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma). Fashion show held at “Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO 2022 S/S”. Many awards.

HP. https://ryunosukeokazaki.com/
IG. @ryunosuke.okazaki　TW. @ryunosuke_okzk
FB. @ryunosuke.okazaki

about ONBEAT
 

ONBEAT on Beat

HP.　https://onbeat.co.jp/
IG.　 @onbeat_co
TW.　@onbeat_co
FB.　@onbeat.magazine

Otomi Ikoto Co., Ltd. publishes “ONBEAT”, a bilingual art information magazine that introduces japanese art and culture in various genres such as architecture, crafts, fashion, music, etc. to borderless, mainly contemporary art.

Hirotaka Fujita, ceo and editor-in-chief of ONBEAT, has been strongly attracted to ethnic music in Africa and around the world since he was a teenager, and has played his own performance, and in his mid-20s he moved to Africa to live together with local musicians and fieldwork in villages. After that, I moved to Paris and lived with local artists to deepen my interest not only in music but also in art. Fujita rediscovered the value of Japanese art and culture through his overseas experience, and established Otomi-Mori Co., Ltd. in 2013 after returning to Japan. The following year, we launched onbeat, a bilingual art information magazine.

 

The naming “ONBEAT” comes from the rhythm “On-beat”, which has an accent on odd beats such as Japanese festivals and Kagura, and at the root of it is the belief that we should dig deeper into our roots and create new things from it because the world’s culture and lifestyle are rapidly homogenizing. Through ONBEAT, Otomi Ikoto will continue to develop borderless activities as a hub station that connects various genres such as sound (music), beauty (art), clothing (fashion), and wood (environment).

about WATOWA GALLERY
 

WATOWA GALLERY Watwa Gallery

HP.　http://www.watowa.jp/news/
IG.　@watowagallery
CONTACT.　info@watowa.jp

WATOWA GALLERY is an art project production group that provides a place for art communication, mainly for young artists with new sensibilities incorporating current Japanese street culture and fashion, as well as original and advanced technologies and Japanese philosophy. In order for art to become a fashion-friendly culture and open up a society that blends into each person’s lifestyle, we will expand touchpoints that touch art by conducting exhibitions with new sensations and producing and directing art projects.

Many of the major art movements that are still valued both at home and abroad are born outside the museum and through exchanges between artists and supporters of various genres. We do not have a specific art space, we regard all spaces as galleries, open art from museums to communities, to cities, and living spaces, and disseminate cross-cutting art projects with professionals from various fields from outside the museum. In addition, we will support the success of young Japanese artists and the entry of young Japanese collectors, and promote exchanges between artists and supporters. Through new communication and communities through WATOWA GALLERY, we aim to create the art scene of the next era and revitalize the market.