Kaneko Aoi solo exhibition "Magic Club 2"

Her works are inspired by the aesthetic sense of the past, such as the atmosphere of her hometown, ancient ruins, and abandoned hot spring towns.
She was fascinated by the murals of the Pompeii ruins that she saw in art books and exhibitions, and the encaustic techniques she incorporates into some of her works give them a strong, mysterious impression.

July 2 - 13, 2025
1-7 pm
Closed on July 7 & 8

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Shimokitazawa Arts is please to present Kaneko Aoi's solo exhibition "Magic Club 2." Kaneko Aoi was born in Shizuoka Pref. in 2003 and is an up-and-coming artist who will graduate from the Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, majoring in Oil Painting, in 2025 and is currently enrolled in the Technique and Materials Research Laboratory of the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.
The lustrous and weighty surface that characterizes Kaneko Aoi's works is brought about by her encaustic and plaster-based paintings, a classical technique that she has become attracted to. Kaneko's works are striking at first glance, but when viewed up close, new discoveries can be made about the intricate writing and scratches, and every time you look closely, you discover new details. The motifs include abandoned hot spring towns, buildings from the bubble era, and ordinary houses that somehow touch her heart. The roots of her aesthetic sense lie in the building materials, fabrics, miscellaneous goods, and clothing found in her parents' home, and Kaneko paints in a way that responds to the intense atmosphere of human activities and accumulated emotions.
The paintings created by young artist Kaneko are new and mysterious, yet at the same time evoke a universal sense of nostalgia in the viewer. Please enjoy the world of Kaneko Aoi, which is like a crystallization of nostalgia.

Artist statement

My works are paintings, but they also have aspects of short essays or stories. The motifs and concepts are born from the scenery I have actually seen, my own experiences, and the emotions that stir me there.

I spent my childhood in a town that was a thriving tourist destination during the bubble period. The hotels are now deserted and decorations that bear traces of the time can still be seen all over the city, and even as a child I was deeply impressed by the atmosphere, which seemed to combine traces of the city's former glory with the tranquility after that.

Also, when I stop by a place, I sometimes find the air to be strangely quiet or to sense a commotion for no apparent reason. The sense of space that makes me stop in my tracks even though there is nothing there is an important motif for me.

Visually, I am heavily influenced by the timeless aesthetics of the past, such as ruins, aged textures, traditional patterns, and architecture from the bubble era.

In terms of technique, I use a variety of materials for each piece, such as plaster and encaustic. I am particularly drawn to encaustic art, not only for the texture of the material itself, but also for the history of the ancient city of Pompeii, where the technique was used. I feel a deep sympathy for these vestiges of a civilization that came to an abrupt end, as they overlap with the atmosphere of architecture during the bubble era as its glory was rapidly lost.

I aim to capture in the form of paintings scenes and sensations from everyday life that suddenly stop me in my tracks.

Kaneko Aoi
Born in Shizuoka pref., Japan, 2003.
2025　Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, Oil Painting major
Currently enrolled in the Techniques and Materials Laboratory, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.

Selected exhibition
2024
solo exhibition "Trip BEST" Gallery Blue3143　ALPHA ET OMEGA , Tokyo
ART FAIR TOKYO, Bohemians' Guild, Tokyo International Forum , Tokyo
2023
solo exhibition "Magic Club" Bohemians' Guild, Tokyo
solo exhibition "Circus" Onden Coffee　ALPHA ET OMEGA , Tokyo
2022
3331 ART FAIR 2022, 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo
point de depart, Bumpodo Gallery, Tokyo
"BLISSFUL ABODE" haco, Tokyo

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