Iyama Kei & Morisakorisa two-person exhibition "Bush Bush"

November 2 - 17, 2024
1-7 pm
Closed on Mon, Tue and Wed.
*Open on Nov. 4.
*opening reception：Nov. 2, 5-7pm
*talk event：Nov. 10, 2-3pm
*Anyone can participate in the opening reception and talk event.

Shimokitazawa Arts is pleased to announce to have the exhibition "Bush Bush" by Iyama Kei and Morisakorisa. Iyama Kei was born in Morioka City, Iwate pref., Japan, 2001. After graduating from Kozukata High School, Art Course in 2020, he is currently creating works in Morioka City. Morisakorisa was born in Tokyo, 2003. She is currently enrolled in her 3rd year majoring in oil painting, Department of Painting, Tama Art University. She is an up-and-coming young artist who has already participated in many exhibitions, including being selected for the FACE in her 3rd year of high school.
Iyama uses a variety of art materials to depict the world as he sees it. Morisakorisa uses oil paintings and drawings to depict events in another world that parallels the real world that exists within her. Up until now, they have kept an eye on each other's works and continued to communicate on SNS. Iyama's visit to Morisakorisa's solo exhibition "Mood Indigo" held at our gallery last year gave us the opportunity to hold this two-person exhibition. What these two have in common is their determination to live as artists, and their desire to express their own worlds that cannot be seen by others through paintings and words. Like the novels by Nigerian Amos Tutuola, which also leads to the title of this exhibition, Iyama and Morisakorisa's world may not be visible to the naked eye, but those who watch their works can definitely feel it. Please come and take a look at the two bushes. We look forward to your visit.

Iyama Kei

Born in Morioka city, Iwate pref., Japan, 2001.
2020　graduating from Kozukata High School, Art Course
currently lives and works in Morioka City.

favorite artist：Suga Kishio, Funakoshi Yasutake, Matsumoto Shunsuke, Yorozu Tetsugoro, Bruno Munari

solo exhibition
2024
"Iyama Kei Exhibition" Art + half studio, Hachimantai City, Iwate Pref., Japan
"Iyama Kei special feature" Cyg art gallery, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
2023
"Iyama Kei Exhibition" Kawatoku gallery, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
"Iyama Kei Exhibition, HOLE" Commercial gallery, Kujiranohone, Chiba City, Chiba Pref., Japan
"The unchanging tone, welcome back turn" Saigado S-SPACE, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
2022
"Iyama Kei Exhibition, stretching vacuum tube" Commercial gallery, Kujiranohone, Chiba City, Chiba Pref., Japan
"Iyama Kei Solo Exhibition, distant view document" implexus art gallery, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
2021
"Iyama Kei Solo Exhibition, positive position of the sun" implexus art gallery, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
2020
"RELATIONSHIPs" Saigado S-SPACE, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan

group exhibition
2024
"114 year old conversation" A.R.T shop 2nd YPG ANNEX, Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Pref., Japan
2023
"asterisc" Former Ishii Prefectural Residence, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
2022
"Christmas gold plate exhibition" Joint project with artist Yuri Shibata, Saigado S-SPACE, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
"The Heart of Songs - Entrusted to the Paintbrush - Exhibition" Tokyo Kudan Yohgarou, Tokyo
"Future Artist Tokyo:SHIP" Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo
2021
"Cygnus parade" Cyg art gallery, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
"Art Field Iwate 2021" Morioka City Central Park, Iwate Pref., Japan
"Pudding Alliance 20th Anniversary Exhibition" Ishigami Museum of Art, Iwate Town, Iwate Pref., Japan
2020
"Cyg SELECT  2020" Cyg art gallery, Morioka City, Iwate Pref., Japan
"la eclosion" Gallery AN, Mizusawa City, Iwate Pref., Japan

Artist statement

The motifs are inspired by the land and the relationships between the people who live there. It is interesting that many of the origins of a good lifestyle rooted in a region are derived from the topography, and I am currently interested in the number of people and the emotion that lies in the numbers themselves. Although I usually live in Iwate, I am very happy to be able to present such works in the Tokyo area.
Last year, I started an activity called "Reading the Hedges." The purpose of this activity is for a few people to meaningfully appreciate and critique the hedges around town as if they were works in a museum, and learn more about ourselves. At some point after I started doing this, I started seeing the shadow of the hedge on everything but the hedge.
Since then, various hedges have often appeared in my paintings. I often learn from my own paintings, and I remember being deeply impressed when I was able to paint a picture of a sky-like hedge and sky. I'm sure the sky-patterned bushes in front of us are twice as thick as we imagined, and in fact, we may never be able to see the real sky. The important thing is how to see the real sky. Whether I burn it, cut it, or avoid it, I try to somehow tackle the Bush at hand in my daily work and life.

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Morisakorisa

Born in Tokyo, 2003.
2022　graduated from Tokyo Gakkan Funabashi High School, Arts and Crafts course
2023　currently in her 3rd year of Tama Art University, Oil painting course

favorite artist：Fujita Tsuguharu, Vilhelm Hammershoi, Odilon Redon, Henry Joseph Darger, Jr., Kaneko Kuniyoshi, Uno Akira, Kondoh Akino, Henri Rousseau, Marc Chagall

Exhibition
2024
Group exhibition "WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION vol.37: Canvas of aNarrative" Tokyo
Group exhibition "Quintet" Empathy gallery, Tokyo
Group exhibition "Dalston group exhibition -part6-" gallery Dalton, Tokyo
Group exhibition "ART ARTKOBE -ArtSticker SELECTION-" Daimaru Kobe store, Hyogo pref., Japan
Group exhibition "Expression Vol.3" Changting gallery, Tokyo
Group exhibition "Wonderland" Shimokitazawa Arts, Tokyo
2023
Group exhibition "CHANGTING GALLERY EXHIBITION 2023, Finalist Exhibition", Changting gallery, Tokyo
Group exhibition "I IS ANOTHER" TOKYO CHUO GALLERY, Tokyo
Group exhibition "CHANGTING GALLERY 3RD EXHIBITION", Changting gallery, Tokyo
Solo exhibition "Mood Indigo" Shimokitazawa Arts, Tokyo
Group exhibition WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION vol.28, WHAT CAFE, Tokyo
Group exhibition "Human being", Changting gallery, Tokyo
Group exhibition "Arts Students STARS" ＋ART GALLERY, Tokyo
Solo exhibition "A story of garden" Space Kurage, Tokyo
2022
Group exhibition "I love everybody so much." Space Kurage, Tokyo
Solo exhibition "moon mischief" Daikanyama Hillside Terrace E building salon, Tokyo
Group exhibition Books Tokyodo, Tokyo
Group exhibition GINZA COLLECTOR’s CLUB, GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS, Tokyo
Group exhibition WHAT CAFE × WHYNOT. TOKYO EXHIBITION, WHAT CAFE, Tokyo
Group exhibition "Roots - whereabouts and stronghold" gallery re:tail, Tokyo
Group exhibition "Insight II 2022" GALLERY AND LINKS, Tokyo
Group exhibition "-ECHO-" blanc gallery, Tokyo
Group exhibition 57th Showa-kai exhibition, galerie nichido, Tokyo
Group exhibition FACE Award 2022, Sompo Museum of Art, Tokyo
Group exhibition "Art exhibition with zombies" Space Kurage, Tokyo
2021
Group exhibition GAKUTEN, Student Art & Design Concourse, The National Art Center, Tokyo
Group exhibition 6th Hoshino Coffee Art Competition, Hoshino Coffee, Japan
Group exhibition The World Art Exhibition,  Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo
Group exhibition Art Exhibition for All-Japan students and school children, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo

Award
2023
CHANGTING GALLERY EXHIBITION 2023, Selected work, Tokyo
2022
57th Showa-kai exhibition, galerie nichido, Tokyo
FACE Award 2022, Sompo Museum of Art, Tokyo
2021
GAKUTEN, Student Art & Design Concourse, Excellence Award, Tokyo
The World Art Exhibition, Tokyo
6th Hoshino Coffee Art Competition, Second Prize, Japan
2020
Environmental education poster competition, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award, Japan

Concept for works

I express a parallel world.
If a revolution or war occurs in reality, it will also occur in the other world, and they have two forms, one in reality and one in a parallel world.
As I paint them, I visualize them, and I feel as if they're really alive.
The reason why my paintings oscillate between figurative and abstract is because the resolution of the scene is different.

I will express the absurdities of life, dream-like happy events, and weave a story with words.
I really hope that you can appreciate my works from multiple angles.
We live in a complicated world where we don't know how much of it is true, but I will continue to advocate for the dignity that needs to be protected through painting.
The person painted will become the narrator of a new story.

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