Eri Ōta, Be Healthy II, 2020, lithograph
© Eri Ōta, Image courtesy of Micheko Galerie and The Culture Story
Pop and Beyond: The Diversity of Japanese Art
Jointly presented by The Culture Story and Micheko Gallerie
28 October—29 December 2023
The Culture Story and Munich-based Micheko Galerie jointed presented “Pop and Beyond: The Diversity of Japanese Art”, marking the gallery’s first pop-up project in Singapore. The exhibition featured seven Japanese artists—Katsumi Hayakawa, Kenichi Yokono Norihiko Terayama, Mari Ito, Toru Fukuda, Eri Ōta (listed by age) and Masako Inoue (age unknown)—all of whom had never shown in Singapore before.
The contemporary art scene in Japan has witnessed a flourishing and diverse range of artistic expression over the past two decades. The exhibition ‘Pop and Beyond: The Diversity of Japanese Art’ explores the work of these seven prominent Japanese artists who have made significant contributions to the country’s artistic production during this period.
Over the past two decades, Japan’s contemporary art scene has flourished, showcasing a diverse range of artistic expressions. “Pop and Beyond” explored the work of these seven artists, each of whom made significant contributions to Japan’s artistic landscape. Representing a cross-section of media and conceptual approaches, their works offered insight into the evolving narratives, histories, and socio-political contexts shaping 21st-century Japanese art.
By bringing these artists to Singapore, the exhibition provided collectors and art enthusiasts in the region with an opportunity to engage with and acquire exceptional artworks. Through their distinctive styles and perspectives, these artists invited viewers to delve deeper into the depth and richness of Japanese contemporary art.
Artists:
Katsumi Hayakawa, Kenichi Yokono Norihiko Terayama, Mari Ito, Toru Fukuda, Eri Ōta (listed by age) and Masako Inoue (age unknown).
In Collaboration With:
Micheko Galerie was founded in 2010 by Keiko Tanaka and Michele Vitucci and puts a strong focus on introducing 21st century art from Japan to European collectors and beyond. Micheko applies strong selection criteria when selecting its artists. Concept, context, continuity, technique and potential for the future are essential for its choices. Micheko Galerie acts as a bridge between its artists and European collectors and institutions.
Sookoon Ang, 2018, Immortality V, Edition of 3
While you were sleeping…
Presented by The Culture Story and curated by Charmine Toh
20 May—14 October 2023
“While You Were Sleeping…” brought together four Singaporean artists—Sookoon Ang, Darren Soh, Sufian Samsiyar, and Tang Da Wu—spanning different generations and diverse artistic practices. Exhibited together for the first time, their works harnessed the sensory power of art, inviting viewers to move beyond the familiar and step into new realms of perception and imagination.
Symbolism and form played an important role for Tang and Ang, who used them to convey abstract emotions from love to sacrifice. Both artists juxtaposed found and made objects to tell personal stories that invited multiple readings. Soh and Sufian’s work appeared to be representational yet blurred the edges of materiality and vision through surreal landscapes.
The dreamlike layering of personal stories and emotions, signs and objects resisted rigid interpretation. Instead, it created a fluidity of thought and feeling, opening up a space for what Susan Sontag famously called “an erotics of art”—where knowledge emerged not from reason, but from myth and imagination.
Read the essay about the exhibition here.
Artists:
Sookoon Ang, Darren Soh, Sufian Samsiyar and Tang Da Wu