Eri Uemura 〈 Picking up My Bones (It’s better to burn out than to fade away) 〉
2017, 2020

ADF (NPO Aoyama Design Forum) is pleased to present "Picking up My Bones" as the ADF Art Gallery Project Vol.31, featuring the solo exhibition of artist Eri Uemura that uses motifs of the wild, the body, and time and space to present emotions and impulses that oscillate on the borderline between these elements. The exhibition will be held from January 24 (Fri.) to February 7 (Fri.), 2025.

The "Picking up My Bones" series, ongoing since 2016, masterfully depicts the primal wildness and desires emanating from our living bodies' corporeal realities. The imagery of a figure selecting fragments from decayed remains evokes both the fragility of human existence and the preparation for a transition to the next world. This profound narrative reflects the tension between our innate "wildness" and the "education" that shapes societal norms—forces that often drive us toward surreal or unconscious realms.

Eri Uemura 〈Picking up My Bones〉 2024

Eri Uemura 〈Picking up My Bones〉 2024

The striking contrast between a young, innocent girl and a skeletal figure recalls the medieval European maxims of "Memento Mori" (Remember Death) and "Carpe Diem" (Seize the Day). Throughout art history, the visualization of life and death has been a recurring theme that continues to resonate in the modern era. Uemura captures this collective psychological shift while presenting her unique perspective on the concept of finality.

In an age where advances in science and medicine marginalize death, Uemura's works vividly bring it to the forefront, compelling us to reflect on the inherent contradictions of modern life. The colorful interplay between the girl and the skeleton creates a unique aesthetic that highlights the ephemerality of life and the essence of human existence.

Eri Uemura 〈Talk with One’s self〉 2019

Eri Uemura 〈I Came Back Because You Have Created Me〉 2019

Eri Uemura 〈Rock Bottom〉 2024

This exhibition highlights materiality as a central theme. Uemura's diverse use of materials—including Japanese paper, pressed flowers, fire, wool, ink, and mineral pigments—gives her works a tactile quality that enhances their physical presence, providing viewers with a unique sensory experience. The exhibition features early drawings from the series, recent paintings, and, for the first time, three-dimensional ceramic works developed in 2024.

Uemura's work presents an important perspective in today's society. It is to look at oneself from the perspective of “wildness” and to deeply consider one's own life. Through the relics of the past in the form of bones, the artist selects the elements necessary for the present and creates the future. By daring to use analog techniques in this age of digital technology, the artist invites the viewer to deep contemplation through an expression that can be described as a modern ritual.

Born in 1986, Hiroshima Prefecture
2010 Graduated from Onomichi City University, Faculty of Arts and Culture, Oil Painting
2010〜2011 Resided in London, UK
2014 Completed Master's Course in Oil Painting, Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts
Selected Exhibitions

2012 Group Exhibition "University Painting," Akibatamabi 21, 3331gallery, Tokyo
2012 Group Exhibition "Eri Uemura, Megumi Utsunomiya, Makiko Masutani's Atelier," Tokyo University of the Arts, University Hall, Tokyo
2013 Solo Exhibition "Life Drawing," Ouchi Gallery, NY
2014 Participated in "art award tokyo marunouchi 2014," Gyokochika Gallery, Tokyo
Solo Exhibition "Kiss," JIKKA, Tokyo
2014 Group Exhibition "Mitsukoshi x Tokyo University of the Arts Summer Art Festival 2014," Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, Tokyo
2014 "Shibukaru Festival 2014," Parco Museum, Shibuya PARCO, Tokyo
2014 "TOKYO DESIGNERS WEEK・SHOP ART WALK," Pretty Ballerinas AOYAMA, Tokyo
2015 Solo Exhibition "ERI UEMURA," eatable, Tokyo
2015 Group Exhibition "In Focus 6: Current Status of Graduates," MOU Onomichi City University Museum of Art, Hiroshima
2018 Participated in zine fair, Wetland Venue, Taipei
2023 Group Exhibition "ART KAMIYAMA," Aso Residence, Tokyo

Dates: January 24, 2025 (Friday) – February 7, 2025 (Friday) *Closed on Sundays and holidays
Hours: 11:00–18:00
Venue: GARDE Gallery (NBF ALLIANCE Bldg. 4F, 5-2-1 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Admission: Free
URL: http://www.art-adf.jp/