Author: Haya Sozo

UMI no IZANAI

Crystallization of the light and shadow that shimmer on the seabed.
Origin of blue
The derivation of life and colors endlessly recreated in the ocean. Imagine your existence within, shimmering and being wrapped up. Reviving you strongly.

Yuji Hamamura’s work features a see-through tropical ocean and burned white sand trapped in a piece. Hamamura’s motivation comes from wanting to express the beauty of the ocean he saw with his very own eyes, diving hundreds of times. Using real sand and stones, his technique of reflecting the waves onto the seabed is somewhat of an illusion. These pieces have been loved by people who cannot leave their hospital bed, people who miss their home, or people who miss their loved ones who loved the ocean. These pieces make you feel the ocean, making you imagine even the fish and life that swim through it.

Yuji Hamamura Profile
Resin artist. Worked in IT in Tokyo before moving back to home, Nagasaki to raise children. Resin crafting started off as just a hobby. In 2019, discovered this unique technique and started crafting art pieces.

2019: Grand Prize at the 17th Zen Exhibition, Tokyo Museum

雄開催　アートフェア　出展決定

Molle épine means soft thron in French.
Even with a soft form, these pieces serve as accents in your everyday home.
I make pottery and sculptures.

Artist profile

Emiko Morizaki
From Shizuoka
Graduated from Musashino art school, specialized in spatial scenography.
Started studying photography while attending school.
Worked as an assistant at a photography studio, then gained independence and became a photographer.
Currently shoots celebrity portraits as well as for advertisements and magazines.
Started pottery as a hobby, and now has 9 years of experience.
Started setting pottery in 2015 online.
Currently striving as a photographer, pottery artist, and mother.

Instagram: @molle_epine
HP: www.emikomorizaki.com

Born in Saitama
Grew up surrounded by mother’s handmade items, and loved to create.
Worked at a design company as a display designer after graduation.
Helped design country-wide company displays, malls, and makers.
Awarded gold for multiple industry awards.
Worked at a logistics company while working as a product designer overseas, producing and making.
Now retired and working for different industries while making products.

The vision is to feel spiritually fulfilled while being surrounded by nature, and feel the kindness and lightness of the plants and flowers.
Work is mainly focused on original order-made products surrounding PLUME de Wreath, (flying wreath, flower chandelier), and PLUME de Sun (sunflower).

Artiste de fleurs fait a la main
Hizuru Saito

ASCENSION 【6/1～7/31】

ASCENSION

Ascension is the attempt to recreate the notion of a wall fragment as a work of art.
Each object is made of plaster over wood, actual building materials, though in varying degrees mixed and modified with fine-art supplies such as nikawa (a type of glue used in nihonga, that is, traditional Japanese painting) or lacquer paint. Works are finally covered with a layer of epoxy resin, which seals the surface but also interacts randomly with the other materials, creating a texture of depth and withered beauty that is partially reflective, partially decayed.

The artist is from Germany.
He learned art in Germany, New York and Tokyo. He currently works in Japan.

The objects in this salon are for sale.

website:

https://lavendarium.art

Sola Cube

Beginning of Sola Cube

2006.10. Brand begins with the concept: Beauty of plants. First cube is fabricated with plant and bought kit from a department store.
2007.12. Brand website is founded and products begin sales.
2008.05 Dandelion Sola Cube begin sales.
2009.09 Sales begin in the US.
2012.09 Store front and company, Usaginonedoko is founded.
2013.06 “自然の造形美展~Nature Art Exhibition~” takes place
2016.08 Products, Sola Cube Micro and Sola Cube Mineral are launched. Exhibit at NY NOW.

-Concept-
The beautiful shape of plants
3.8 billion years after life is born on earth.
Plants have created seeds, fruit, and flower to preserve this life.
The shape of these plants molded by nature solely for survival purposes, is ultimate beauty.
We captured this beauty and inserted it in a 4cm cube.
For children, this cube may bring curiosity and
excitement. For adults, it may nurture everyday life as an art piece or a gift.
This product can be enjoyed by all generations.

website:
www.usaginonedoko.net

instagram: (Tokyo)
www.instagram.com/usaginonedoko_tokyo

twitter:
www.twitter.com/usaginonedokoPR

Seiji Takahashi  / Bonsai shop Toki

Ceramics and bonsai artist
Creates small bonsai and their pots by hand in Minami-ku, Niigata city.
He works for lifestyles surrounding enjoying bonsai through Japanese plants, trees, and forest life.
Opened bonsai shop Toki in November 2017.

 

website:
http://www.bonsaiyatoki.com/

instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bonsaiyatoki/

facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/bonsaiyatoki/

twitter:
@bonsaiyatoki

 

As an actor, art director, and model, Sallu naturally found photography through work.
He started teaching himself photography when he moved overseas, and when he won a photography award from Mainichi News, he started his official photographer career.
Since moving back to Japan, Sallu’s work consists of taking portrait photos for actors, artists, and athletes, and working for various marketing and theatre companies.
His work is not limited to commercial purposes, as he explores photography as a form of artwork.
Sallu’s photography work has been recognized by international contests for using manual hands-on technique with no digital enhancements.

Awards & Nominations:
Mainichi News
Yomiuri News
Tokyo International Photo Awards (TIFA)
International Photography Awards (IPA)
Monochrome Photography Awards (Mono Awards)
International Photographer Of The Year (IPOTY)
Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3)
Fine Art Photography Awards (FAPA)
Tokyo Camera Awards 2018

Website:
https://www.sallu.photos

Mie Elena Iwatani

Nationality: Republic of Paraguay

 Mie Elena Iwatani was born in Paraguay as the second generation of Japanese Paraguayan. She is an instructor at the National Institute of Traditional Crafts in Paraguay –IPA (Instituto Paraguayo de Artesania) Building the school “Academia Mie Elena, she holds her classes mainly around the capital area, and also teaches other educators. Not only does she carry her workshop, but she also goes to organizes workshops, joins embassy events, presents at elementary and junior high international school classrooms, attends events at festivals at the Paraguay International Festival, and also at JATA World Travel Expo.

In 2015, she published the very first instructional manual book, “El nanduti del Paraguay.” In 2018, “Accessory of el nanduti.” She hopes her home country’s nanduti heritage will be known throughout the world through her work.

What is “El nanduti”?

The word “el nanduti” comes from the local language of Gurani which means “spiderweb”. During the 16th century when lace was brought from Spain and combined with its culture, they made their original way of lace knitting. There are now more than 350 different kinds of motifs and most of them are mainly the designed based on many unique things and also by items closely related to the nature and life of Paraguay. The characteristics of Paraguay are bright and delicate gradation, which represents the color of rainbow with lace. El nanduti is mainly used in folk costumes and upholstery, but recently it is also being used for dresses and handbags. Most of the craft workers are female, however, recently the problem is that they are aging and it is difficult to recruit young people. Starting from Japan, the Paraguayan Tourism Agency is working hard to let the world know about how appealing this el nanduti is.

Driftwood Artist – Masahiko Kodama

While working various wild animal and resort related jobs since the age of 18, Masahiko has been traveling to countries filled with great nature all around the world. He discovered art through driftwood 29 years ago, and in 2015 he opened his workshop on the eastern side of Shizuoka, alongside one partner.

 

Numazu Driftwood Forest

The Golden Egg Corporation operates as an art department for sustainable businesses with a view of overseas expansion. Most of the work is art orders (70+% custom orders), but also orders from hotels, restaurants, and other interior design companies, including decorating for events. Drawing inspiration from the infinite possibilities of nature, driftwood art continues to be an one and only piece of art in the world.

 

About Driftwood

Every piece of driftwood grew up in a forest or mountain, somewhere on earth. Whether it be naturally or by the hands of humans, the wood drifts along rivers and oceans, some taking decades to reach our hands. Only one piece of wood is chosen among thousands drifted on the seashore. It is cleansed with salt and once brought back to the workshop, it is cleansed again under high pressure, and dried naturally. The accessories, kanzashi, dishes, and aroma holders are boiled and dried during the production process.

 

Media

TV – 4 times / Radio – 2 times

Youtube: September, 2019, interviewed from Hikaru-kun (Youtuber)

Search by “ヒカル流木”

 

Golden Egg Corporation – Numazu Driftwood Forest

Representative: Masahiko Kodama – driftwood artist (Tama-ryu)

Phone number: 080-4525-4039   Email: basecamp1205@gmail.com

Instagram: dragontamasan / Numazu.ryubokunomori

Facebook: 児玉昌彦 / 沼津流木の森　函南工房

a graduate of Vilnius University Oriental Studies Center, is living and working in Tokyo, Japan.
She interprets her artwork, constructed from old photographs,
memories and imagination, using traditional Japanese materials.

The properties of Japanese mineral pigments are helpful in communicating the subjective,
feelings-based aspect of the reality.
Talking about her painting style, the painter herself often describes it as “magical realism, but in painting.”

We hope for a world where anyone can share and express love. To achieve this, we created a way that allows artists to collaborate with each other.

We believe “the answer is always love.”

When each person lives freely and lives their lives how they want, that is when they can truly love someone else.
To not think too much, just enjoy “now.”

By publishing this book, we are slowly but surely conveying this message, and our hope is to create little by little a world surrounded by kind warmth.

[what love is]

Our theme for this exhibition is our first picture book, “what love is.” Through this, we’ve created a world in the salon.

Please enjoy the different artists with individuality, yet with the same reoccuring theme.

Artist Instagram information:

Picture books that are not sold in bookstores. BoooChi BOOKS
@booochi1111

Artists Representative tahna
@tahna33
Photo account
@tahna_photo
Art and event account
@tahna.artworld

Chicchi444/ちっち444
@cheko.444

Ayase/綾瀬
@hazel151217

Suihou Ichikawa
Japanese Calligrapher / Calligraphy Artist
Calligraphy professor at Communication College “Titan School” Titan Production
Started calligraphy at the age of 7 influenced by calligrapher Shihan (master) parents.
Suihou himself has earned his teaching license and title of calligraphy Shihan.
Today this day, he earns dozens of awards in the Kanji category of calligraphy tournaments.
His work varies from teaching, guest starring at shows, creating logos, store designs, name cards, to even tattoos.
Suihou interacts with various types of artists and creates eccentric new art, while also appreciating history and tradition of Japanese calligraphy.

ARTWORK
At the core of Suihou’s art, is “ji,” meaning letter, or character.
Whether that be through abstract art forms or through traditional calligraphy,
he draws inspiration from letters.
Instead of drawing associated shapes and images from beautiful flowers or landscapes, Suihou thinks of these scenes as letters, creating entirely new perspectives.
Another new avenue Suihou explores, is alcohol ink art.
This art form seeks colors, shapes, and general appearance from imagination.
It is a journey in search of an answer never to be found.
Where the world of calligraphy ink is monochrome, alcohol ink art offers color and brightness.
These worlds seem to oppose, yet are close to each other, bringing out new possibilities for one another.