2023 Overview
The first solo exhibition of the year will be in Kyoto from March 22nd to 27th.
Kyoto in March was recovering from the coronavirus. The city was overflowing with foreign tourists, and had regained the bustle it had before the coronavirus. Many foreign tourists came to my solo exhibition. I can hardly speak English, but the reactions of overseas customers are very easy to understand. "If I need it, I'll buy it, if I don't need it, I won't buy it." So it's easy to serve customers. Art is not difficult, and I want it to be fun. And I don't think it needs to be affirmed or denied. "I want it to reach those who need it." I felt that the significance of my activities with that single mind became clearer through the reactions of people from overseas.
Solo exhibition at Gaienmae from June 13th to June 18th.
This is the first solo exhibition since moving from Shibuya Bunkamura, where it had been for over 15 years. I was almost crushed by such anxiety that "if the location changes, the customers who came before won't come?" However, when it started, it was a success that swept away such anxiety, and I was once again simply grateful for the initiative of the customers. "What would it be like if I were in that situation?" This is something I always think about. Would I stop going now that the location has changed? It's a good opportunity to stop going. I rack my brains to avoid thinking that way. But all I can do is create better works, so I always ask myself questions that I can never find an answer to.
Solo exhibition in Kyoto from September 6th to September 11th.
I decided to hold a solo exhibition in Kyoto twice a year. In March, there were many overseas visitors, but for some reason, there were few during this period in September. And it was hot. I am used to the summer heat in Saitama, but the heat in Kyoto is different in nature, and it is hot in its own way. With the signs of the end of the corona virus, very few people were wearing masks, and it felt like the old Kyoto had finally returned. In retrospect, I did not put enough effort into getting people to come into the exhibition venue. In my case, my works are small, so it is very difficult to get customers who are passing by to take an interest in my works and come into the venue. However, if I am holding a solo exhibition, I cannot avoid the proposition. I must prepare a powerful eye-catcher by the time of my solo exhibition in Kyoto next spring.
Solo exhibition at Gaienmae from November 7th to 12th.
I was blessed with many customers at my solo exhibition in June, but that doesn't always happen. This job is often greatly influenced by the weather and the situation. That's why I try different things every time. There are customers who come no matter what the situation is, and those who happen to know me on SNS and come, and those who have been interested for a long time, but the timing was finally right and their wish came true. There are all kinds of customers. I may not be able to make everyone 100% satisfied, but what I always try to do is to make myself 100% satisfied. It seems easy, but it's quite difficult. I think that at that point, I shouldn't think, "I should have done this," or "I should have done that." And I never push myself too hard. I have a set time to work. If I'm allowed to work as much as I want, the amount of work will certainly increase. But is that my ability? In my case, I think that it's "work" only when I can produce results within a limited (set) time.
Solo exhibition in Kobe from December 9th to 14th.
It's been about 13 years since my first solo exhibition in Kansai was held in Kobe Motomachi. At that time, I held exhibitions twice a year, and this was my 20th solo exhibition in total. 13 years ago, it was a very lively town, yet sophisticated and not noisy. It was tolerant of new things, but old things were also beautifully mixed together. It was a town full of such Japanese-Western/retro-future charm. That doesn't mean that it's not like that anymore. It's a wonderful town now, but is it in the midst of being reborn? The impression of retro beauty that it had in the past is fading. This is probably a problem throughout Japan, but commercial facilities are concentrated in big cities, and stores that can attract customers through SNS and other means can be located anywhere. Fewer and fewer people are just wandering around the town without a purpose. "Chance encounters," "I happened to come across something wonderful at a store I went into," "I found a store I liked while walking down a road I don't usually go down," and instead of exploring like that every day, we look at our cell phones or PCs , chase what someone says is good, and go directly to the store. That's the kind of world we're becoming. I'm not denying it, and of course I think I should ride that wave. But I've been thinking more and more about how much fun that exploration is. Anyway, I'm thinking I'll take a break from the Kobe exhibition next year. It's partly because I don't have the skills, but I wanted some time to think. Instead, I'm planning my long-awaited first solo exhibition in Hakata next winter. There are a lot of things I need to prepare. I'm looking forward to it, and I hope you'll look forward to it too.
Thank you very much for this year. I'm still the same, but I'm taking a step forward and a few steps back at my own pace. I hope you'll join me next year. See you again soon.