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Chocolate pies are also turned into Japanese paintings! Tips for clearing the confusion of the social media era | Yuka Kasai's solo exhibition "Waving from afar"
- A Japanese painting of chocolate pie? The subject matter and title of the work are unique and captivating
- A work that gives hints on how to distance yourself from the frustrations of the social media era
- There will also be unmanned sales at the venue. Don't miss out on this new venture by the artist.
A Japanese painting of chocolate pie? The subject matter and title of the work are unique and captivating
"Unconditional Love" Color on paper, water-based paint, mica, oil-based pen / 2025
Yuka Kasai is a Japanese painter whose works have been featured at exhibitions and art fairs both in Japan and abroad. When you hear the term "Japanese painting," you might imagine landscapes painted in all black ink or portraits of beautiful women in kimonos, but her Japanese paintings are a little more unique. Her subjects, such as "Unconditional Love," depicting a chocolate pie, and "For a Passerby, or a Stuffed Animal," depicting a stuffed animal peeking through a window, are scenes that are easy for anyone to relate to, and the titles are sure to make you smile. The great appeal of her work is that it can be enjoyed without any stress.
"For Passersby or Stuffed Animals" Color on paper, water-based paint / 2025
Among the works on display this time, one that is likely to make you say "That's so true!" is a three-dimensional piece called "Overprotection," which is one that you should definitely check out at the venue.
A work that gives hints on how to distance yourself from the frustrations of the social media era
Scenery of the exhibition venue
What was the intention behind creating this exhibition? In his speech, Kasai explains:
In today's world, where all kinds of information is easily accessible, everything, from events happening in faraway countries to those happening to people close to us, rushes before our eyes with the same sense of distance. As a result, even the problems of others can feel like our own, and the boundaries between ourselves and others tend to become blurred. Despite differences in our environments and ways of thinking, we often forget these differences and end up judging and expressing our opinions based on our own standards. There is a distance that should be maintained between us and others.
"Just Between Us" Color on paper, water-based paint / 2025
This exhibition features works that make us reconsider the distance between people and things, such as "Just Between Us," which considers the comfortable distance between people through the scene of casual conversation in a smoking area.
There will also be unmanned sales at the venue. Don't miss this new attempt by the artist.
"Even if you are swept away, you can still find the rudder" Color on paper, ink, polymer clay, water-based paint, wood / 2025
This exhibition will feature unprecedented expressions, including three-dimensional works, such as "Even if you are swept away, you can still steer," which was created with the intention of "concentrating on your own thoughts and feelings and not letting yourself be swept in the wrong direction" even while being bombarded with a vast amount of information, and unmanned sales of palm-sized, talisman-like barrier stones (stopping stones placed as markers indicating "no entry from here").
Barrier stones made from pebbles found in Ishikari, Shiretoko, and other areas
I hope that visitors to this exhibition will smile at the familiar scenes from everyday life and the twisted titles that accompany them, and feel a sense of relief from the "distance rehabilitation" that the artist has attempted, starting from tomorrow. (I also ended up buying a Sekimori stone.)
Yuka Kasai solo exhibition "Waving from afar"
■Dates: Saturday, September 13th to Sunday, October 5th, 2025 ■Event Hours: 11:00-18:00 ■ Venue: Gallery Monma (2-3-38 Asahigaoka, Chuo-ku, Sapporo) ■ Admission fee: Free ■Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays For details and maps of "Yuka Kasai Solo Exhibition: Waving from afar" click here
Writer Profile
writer Yoshio Matsuda
I published a free paper called "WG" from 2007 to 2010, and have been working as a freelance writer since 2010. I particularly love performing arts and fine arts. Since around 2002, I have been purchasing artworks, mainly paintings, from galleries. I would be happy if the reports here help someone find "that piece of art that is theirs."
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