Gallery's Picks for the Month (Park Hotel Tokyo Exhibition Vol.1)

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Theme: "Time and Space to Experience the Japanese Aesthetic Sense”

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Park Hotel Tokyo invites various galleries to hold exhibitions based on the concept of “Time and Space to Experience the Japanese sense of beauty”. This time, our gallery has been selected to organize an exhibition titled “Ametsuchi no Uta – Song of Heaven and Earth”. In addition to the exhibition, we also collaborated with a restaurant in the hotel and created an “artist room” where the entire guest room becomes artworks during the exhibition period. (It will be available after the exhibition.)
The “Ametsuchi no Uta” exhibition presents a wide range of Japanese aesthetics, divided into four themes: “Festivals and Seasonal Changes (Four Seasons), “Contemporary Art✕Play (Play)” “Color and Emotions (Love)” “Crafts✕Art (Thought)”. All artworks excepted a few of works are available for purchase, and visitors are free to view the exhibitions even if you are not guests of the hotel, experiencing a variety of “Japanese beauty”.

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Naoto Sunohara

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《Antibodies》 2021/h1,620×w1,304×d45mm/ Sumi ink and mineral pigments on Japanese paper

Sunohara explores new ways of painting and the possibilities of existence by using mountains as his main subject matter and resonating with the experience he has accumulated through mountain climbing.
Sunohara’s works use the basic brush strokes of Suiboku-ga (ink painting), such as “breaking ink” and “resuming ink”, to create various images with overlapping brush strokes and shading. Each of these fragments of images is the result of the artist’s repeated contemplation of the mountains while mobilizing his inner senses, feelings, and ideas, and his attempt to seek a deep and spiritual image of the mountains.
His ability to strike a balance between skillful technique and rough expression continues to attract many people involved in the art world, and he has been featured prominently in Bijutsu Techo’s list of 100 Newcomer Artists who will Shape the 2020’s, as well as in the VOCA Exhibition 2021, a gateway to success for young artists, and the Nikkei Nihonga Grand Prize Exhibition for medium-sized artists under 55 years old.
In this exhibition, “Make a TEMPO” and “Antibodies” are exhibition on the main wall of the 25th floor of the Park Hotel under the theme of “Festival and Seasonal Changes” until the first half of the exhibition (September 10).

Exhibition view at Park Hotel Tokyo　left：《Make a TEMPO》 right：《Antibodies》

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Shinji Ohmaki

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《Echoes – Infinity》 2013 /h1,260×w1,260mm/ pigment and aluminum on canvas

Ohmaki is holding a solo exhibition at the Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art in Aomori Prefecture from April 15 to October 9, 2023. In the past, Ohmaki has presented dynamic installation works and public art in Japan and abroad that evoke the viewer’s physical senses, transforming the exhibition space into an extraordinary world.
Ohmaki’s works are not merely objects to be appreciated for their material interest and beauty, but also devices to make the viewer aware of light, shadow, and time existing within the space.
The “Echoes” series of works on view in this exhibition have been exhibited in the past at the Shiseido Gallery, Art Tower Mito, Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, and Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, and are representative of Ohmaki’s series of works on themes such as “disappearance and rebirth”, “time and memory”, and others.
In this exhibition, this work is displayed on a large wall in front of the guest room elevator under the theme of “Color and Emotion”. In addition, Park Hotel Tokyo is offering afternoon tea until September 10 in collaboration with the “Echoes – Infinity” artwork and the hotel’s restaurant.

Collaboration menu with Ohmaki's "Echoes - Infinity". Detail is here

Exhibition View at Park Hotel Tokyo

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Masatake Kozaki

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《Tree of World – dialogue –》 2020 / h600×w1,200mm / wooden panel, hemp paper, foil, mineral pigment, acrylic paint

《TOUGEN#01》 2014 / h140×w180mm / panel, hemp paper, mineral pigment

《ElephantTigerLion》2020/h250×w130×d420mm/PVC figure, acrylic, foil, mineral pigment

Kozaki was born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1972 and completed the doctoral course in painting at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2005. After working at Tohoku University of Art & Design, he is currently a specially appointed professor at Joshibi University of Art and Design, an also serves as a part-time lecturer at the Nihon University College of Art Graduate School.
He has had many exhibitions in Japan and abroad, and has public art in Daikanyama T-Site Anjin and other places.
The “TOUGEN” series, which is also his representative work, is inspired by the ancient Chinese ideal of “Taogen”, and is recognizable for its composition and use of gold leaf, reminiscent of Hieronymus Bosch, Nanban Byobu (folding screen), and Rakuchu Rakugai-zu (In and out view of a city ). However, the paintings depict medieval deformities, bizarre animals, futuristic vehicles, and plants and animals that seem to be the result of a genetic hybridization. Kohzaki also creates not only two-dimensional paintings but also three-dimensional works, such as “ElephantTigerLion” which shows the breadth of his artistic expression.
“TOUGEN #01” is a collaboration at the hotel’s bar, where original cocktails can be enjoyed until September 10. Under the theme of “Festivals and Seasonal Changes”, artworks are placed in various locations, and there are more artworks than those introduced here, so don’t miss them.

The collaboration with a bar in Park Hotel Tokyo. Deatil is here

《Tree of World – dialogue – 》Exhibition View

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Kasumi Ueba

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Morph(Octopus)　h500×ｗ640×d440mm/ceramic / photo by Takeru Korota

Ueba’s work was on display at the National Crafts Museum in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture through June 11 in the special exhibition “Pokémon✕Crafts: Discovering Beauty and Craftsmanship”, and was attracting attention with works that express a cross between contemporary pop and traditional crafts.
Ueba’s works are chimeras, which are like a combination of animals, and are decorated with traditional Japanese patterns such a tortoiseshell and cloisonne, and create a unique narrative through the fusion of vessel shapes and colors. Ueba’s works are also fully painted in multiple colors, and the gilding gives them a certain dignity and luxury.

Ueba’s grandfather was a Kyoto yuzen painter, and there were old designs in his family. These designs influenced Ueba’s style, and these works have the qualities that connect them to the world through crafts. In addition to “Morph (Octopus)”, the Park Hotel is exhibiting several other works under the theme “Craft✕Art”.

《Morph(Octopus)》Exhibition view at Park Hotel Tokyo

Left：《Fan》h230×w290×d110mm Right：《Giraffe Incense Burner》h250×w290×d110mm

The exhibition “Ametsuchi no Uta – Song of Heaven and Earth” will be held until Sunday, November 19, 2023.
Everyone is welcome to view the artworks and purchase them on the place. Please visit us on the 25th floor of the Shiodome Media Tower.

Homepage of Park Hotel Tokyo is here