Ueshima Museum Annex: Kei Imazu Exhibition
Ueshima Museum Annex
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Artists
Kei Imazu
Timed to coincide with her large-scale solo exhibition at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (January 11–March 23, 2025), this exhibition features all twelve Imazu's works from UESHIMA MUSEUM COLLECTION, including her monumental 2019 painting "Survive".
Imazu’s paintings begin with a preparatory image meticulously composed and modified through image-editing software, drawing on an array of found images sourced from the internet. The fluid brushstrokes, paint drips, and subtle roughness evident in theｘ final works are not mere happenstance; these painterly qualities are methodically orchestrated at the digital stage. Moreover, Imazu’s process embraces the specific characteristics of digital drawing tools and even the data corruption (also known as "bugs" or "glitches"), that occur when software is pushed beyond its processing limits. The results are visual experiences unique to a CG-supported virtual realm—effects unattainable by traditional painting techniques. Through this distinctive method, Imazu subverts our subconscious stereotypes of what makes a painting “painterly” or a digital image “digital.” In doing so, she frees us from entrenched preconceptions, inviting us to engage with the questions her works pose with an open and unbiased mind.
The images Imazu sources from the internet reflect a wide spectrum of her interests, from personal life concerns and historical or societal issues, to the broader notions of life itself, including her own. Spanning the late 2000s to the present, this exhibition offers a broad overview of nearly two decades of Imazu’s career. During this period, she relocated her base of operations from Japan to Bandung, Indonesia; encountered new landscapes, religions, cultures, and histories; and experienced significant personal changes, including motherhood and raising a child. These shifts in life and environment have distinctly influenced the themes and motifs in her work. Changes in subject matter from one period to the next can be read as reflections of evolving social and personal consciousness. As Imazu’s inner world intertwines more deeply with both Indonesia and Japan, the range of motifs she selects grows increasingly diverse, layering multiple narratives within a single canvas.
We hope that through this exhibition, visitors will discern the sharp critical perspective that anchors Imazu’s contemporaneity: as an individual living today and as a rare artist capable of vividly representing the spirit of our time. It is our pleasure to present this exhibition as a testament to her artistic relevance.
Imazu’s paintings begin with a preparatory image meticulously composed and modified through image-editing software, drawing on an array of found images sourced from the internet. The fluid brushstrokes, paint drips, and subtle roughness evident in theｘ final works are not mere happenstance; these painterly qualities are methodically orchestrated at the digital stage. Moreover, Imazu’s process embraces the specific characteristics of digital drawing tools and even the data corruption (also known as "bugs" or "glitches"), that occur when software is pushed beyond its processing limits. The results are visual experiences unique to a CG-supported virtual realm—effects unattainable by traditional painting techniques. Through this distinctive method, Imazu subverts our subconscious stereotypes of what makes a painting “painterly” or a digital image “digital.” In doing so, she frees us from entrenched preconceptions, inviting us to engage with the questions her works pose with an open and unbiased mind.
The images Imazu sources from the internet reflect a wide spectrum of her interests, from personal life concerns and historical or societal issues, to the broader notions of life itself, including her own. Spanning the late 2000s to the present, this exhibition offers a broad overview of nearly two decades of Imazu’s career. During this period, she relocated her base of operations from Japan to Bandung, Indonesia; encountered new landscapes, religions, cultures, and histories; and experienced significant personal changes, including motherhood and raising a child. These shifts in life and environment have distinctly influenced the themes and motifs in her work. Changes in subject matter from one period to the next can be read as reflections of evolving social and personal consciousness. As Imazu’s inner world intertwines more deeply with both Indonesia and Japan, the range of motifs she selects grows increasingly diverse, layering multiple narratives within a single canvas.
We hope that through this exhibition, visitors will discern the sharp critical perspective that anchors Imazu’s contemporaneity: as an individual living today and as a rare artist capable of vividly representing the spirit of our time. It is our pleasure to present this exhibition as a testament to her artistic relevance.
Schedule | Jan 15 (Wed) 2025-Unfix Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Adults ¥600, High School and Junior High School Students ¥400, Elementary School Students and Under free. *Date and Time Web Ticket System | ||||||
| Venue | Ueshima Museum Annex https://ueshima-museum.com/  | ||||||
| Location | 3F Mupre Kitasando, 3-16-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051 | ||||||
| Access | 4 minute walk from exit 2 at Kita-sando Station on the Fukutoshin line, 10 minute walk from the Takeshita exit of Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote line, 12 minute walk from Sendagaya Station on the JR Chuo Sobu line. | ||||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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