FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Please List
New Arts Prospect: Artists from Japan Series IX, 2022
“Pieces for Peace~ what artists can do”
Curated by Sai Morikawa
August 8 - 20, 2022
=ARTISTS=
C’est Gentil /Chikako /Daisuke Hayashi /Eri Hirano /Gani
Hiromi Minami /Hiroyuki Saida /Hisayuki Doi /Housei Yamakawa
Ichigo Nohara /K-Junko /Ken Shiraishi /Koichi Suzuki
Mariko Okabayashi /Megumi Matsukawa /Miwako.K./Minako Ito
Misato Ando /Monzo Watanabe /Morihiro Okamoto /Motoko Ogawa
Natsuya Myoui /Rena Kasuya /Ryuga Tenzan /Shingo Fukuyama
Surhands Tanaka /Mask /Teruko Asuguchi /Shingo Hayamizu
Tomomi /Shingo Fukuyama /Yoshi Hiramitsu
Yoshihiro Kogure /Yukiko Uchida /Yuko Sato
New York is a city where the top artists of the world have long coexisted, creating much diversity of art. The series “New Arts Prospect: Artists from Japan” is currently in its ninth year. Having started in 2014, the exhibition is already well established and attracts a lot of attention. Its purpose is to introduce popular Japanese artists who are well known and respected in Japan to new audiences in New York City.
The exhibition, held yearly in the summer, has been highly rated year after year since its inception. Its purpose is to attract art-loving New Yorkers who have a good eye for skillful work. It will especially attract anyone who has an appreciation for the particular unique expressions behind the Japanese cultural background and it's delicate and elaborate techniques. The artworks in the exhibition reveal a deep commitment and a high quality of artistry by their creators.
Series Number Nine is titled “Pieces for Peace: art works for peace, what artists can do”
The pandemic is showing signs of settlement, and the mask requirement has been greatly eased in New York City. Broadway has been packed every day, the city is back in full swing, and the bustle of New York's metropolis is being restored. However, just as the Corona policies became standard in NYC, the world has become shocked by the news of “War of aggression in Ukraine."
The real-time news reports of bombed-out Ukrainian cities and people fleeing the country for refuge were so disorienting that it was hard to believe that this was happening. There have been massive anti-war demonstrations in Times Square here in New York City and similar anti-war protests in other parts of the United States and Europe. The invasion that took place in February is still going on, with no end in sight.
Adding to the world’s tensions, in Japan the former Prime Minister in charge of the long-term administration was assassinated, an incident rarely seen in Japanese history, causing many people to feel a deep sadness.
People kill each other, why and for what?
This exhibition will present what we artists can do to appeal and build a peaceful society without weaponry, we will present works that express our wishes and messages for a peaceful world without war and conflict.
This is the fourth year that the New Arts Prospect artists and curator are showing at Viridian Artists Gallery in Chelsea. Established in the late 1960’s, Viridian Artists has supported outstanding, “under-known” and emerging artists for more than 50 years. After having a highly successful exhibition last August at Viridian, the artists of New Arts Prospect were again invited to exhibit at the gallery to show their most recent outpourings of creative expression and visitors will not be disappointed.
This exhibition, curated by Sai Morikawa, aims to promote and nurture the cultural exchange between Japan and the US. This exhibition will also be a significant milestone for the participating artists as they build their artistic careers. Regardless of their career stage, these ambitious artists will be showcasing an amazing lineup of art works through which they hope to send a strong message to the world.