Noriko Yanagisawa "Words Spoken by Animals, Creature"
Kamakura Gallery
Until May 17
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Artists
Noriko Yanagisawa
Kamakura Gallery is pleased to announce the solo exhibition “Words Spoken by Animals, Creature” by Yanagisawa Noriko, which will be held from March 22 to May 17, 2025.
Yanagisawa Noriko (born in 1940 in Shizuoka) is one of Japan’s leading printmakers and painters. After completing her graduate studies in oil painting at Tokyo University of the Arts, he worked at a printmaking workshop in New York in the 1970s, establishing herself as an artist with an international perspective. Her works are known for their powerful expression of social issues and historical events through a unique lens, grounded in masterful printmaking techniques. In the 1990s, She stayed in London as an artist dispatched by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and in the 2000s, she devoted herself to mentoring younger artists at Musashino Art University. She currently continues her work at her studio in Kakegawa, Shizuoka.
Yanagisawa Noriko’s works construct a unique worldview where reality and fantasy, abstraction and figuration intersect. Particularly, many of her works feature animals and nature as motifs, through which she expresses the folly of humanity and the sanctity of nature. The artist has created numerous works addressing serious issues faced by contemporary society, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the invasion of Ukraine. These works, often depicted through the lens of animals, question human responsibility and the state of society.
Her representative series, “Words Spoken by Animals,” was inspired by repeated visits to affected areas, including the abandoned cows in Fukushima’s evacuation zone and the resilient animals of Chernobyl. These works connect tragedies from distant places and times, presenting them as universal human challenges. For example, “Words spoken by animals Sea field I, II” alludes to the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll, while “Words spoken by animals 72°90° N. lat.” abstractly portrays the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. These pieces depict the scars left on nature and animals by war and disaster, leaving a profound impression on viewers.
In recent years, Yanagisawa Noriko has been creating drawings using supports such as parchment and Japanese paper, applying color directly to the works. These new pieces, distinct from her prints, showcase a different texture and expressive power, reflecting the artist’s ongoing experimentation. For instance, “Grazing quietly in the meadow” features sheep, a motif tied to Islamic sacrificial rituals, and uses parchment. The work carries a message about community and the chain of life, blending historical perspectives with mythological elements to elevate contemporary issues into universal themes.
Yanagisawa Noriko’s works have received high acclaim both domestically and internationally. She has held solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art in Israel, the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, the Shanghai Peninsula Museum of Art, the National Museum of Art of Romania, and the Zhejiang Art Museum. Her works are also included in numerous public collections, including the Tokyo University of the Arts Museum, the Saitama Museum of Modern Art, the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, and the Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.
This exhibition will showcase a collection of works Yanagisawa Noriko has created over the past five years, with a particular focus on themes addressing the serious issues faced by contemporary society, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the invasion of Ukraine. Through the lens of “animals” and “nature,” the artist questions the relationships between humanity and the environment, war and peace.
Yanagisawa Noriko (born in 1940 in Shizuoka) is one of Japan’s leading printmakers and painters. After completing her graduate studies in oil painting at Tokyo University of the Arts, he worked at a printmaking workshop in New York in the 1970s, establishing herself as an artist with an international perspective. Her works are known for their powerful expression of social issues and historical events through a unique lens, grounded in masterful printmaking techniques. In the 1990s, She stayed in London as an artist dispatched by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and in the 2000s, she devoted herself to mentoring younger artists at Musashino Art University. She currently continues her work at her studio in Kakegawa, Shizuoka.
Yanagisawa Noriko’s works construct a unique worldview where reality and fantasy, abstraction and figuration intersect. Particularly, many of her works feature animals and nature as motifs, through which she expresses the folly of humanity and the sanctity of nature. The artist has created numerous works addressing serious issues faced by contemporary society, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the invasion of Ukraine. These works, often depicted through the lens of animals, question human responsibility and the state of society.
Her representative series, “Words Spoken by Animals,” was inspired by repeated visits to affected areas, including the abandoned cows in Fukushima’s evacuation zone and the resilient animals of Chernobyl. These works connect tragedies from distant places and times, presenting them as universal human challenges. For example, “Words spoken by animals Sea field I, II” alludes to the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll, while “Words spoken by animals 72°90° N. lat.” abstractly portrays the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. These pieces depict the scars left on nature and animals by war and disaster, leaving a profound impression on viewers.
In recent years, Yanagisawa Noriko has been creating drawings using supports such as parchment and Japanese paper, applying color directly to the works. These new pieces, distinct from her prints, showcase a different texture and expressive power, reflecting the artist’s ongoing experimentation. For instance, “Grazing quietly in the meadow” features sheep, a motif tied to Islamic sacrificial rituals, and uses parchment. The work carries a message about community and the chain of life, blending historical perspectives with mythological elements to elevate contemporary issues into universal themes.
Yanagisawa Noriko’s works have received high acclaim both domestically and internationally. She has held solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art in Israel, the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, the Shanghai Peninsula Museum of Art, the National Museum of Art of Romania, and the Zhejiang Art Museum. Her works are also included in numerous public collections, including the Tokyo University of the Arts Museum, the Saitama Museum of Modern Art, the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, and the Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.
This exhibition will showcase a collection of works Yanagisawa Noriko has created over the past five years, with a particular focus on themes addressing the serious issues faced by contemporary society, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the invasion of Ukraine. Through the lens of “animals” and “nature,” the artist questions the relationships between humanity and the environment, war and peace.
Schedule Now in session | Mar 22 (Sat) 2025-May 17 (Sat) 2025 20 days left Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Venue | Kamakura Gallery http://www.kamakura.gallery/  | ||||
| Location | 4-1-11 Kamakurayama, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa 248-0031 | ||||
| Access | 15 minute walk from Nishikamakura Station on the Shonan Monorail line; From the East exit of JR Kamakura Station, take the Keikyu bus and get off at Kamakurayama. The venue is 1 minute walk from there. | ||||
| Phone | 0467-32-1499 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it  |
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