ADF (NPO Aoyama Design Forum) will hold a calligraphy exhibition "SHODO NEW WAVE" as the 20th art exhibition "ADF Art Gallery Project" from Saturday, March 4, 2023 to Monday, March 13, 2023.

"SHODO NEW WAVE" has already released works from the commercial gallery, and artists using calligraphy or letters as motifs have already made their professional debuts. The exhibition is held several times a year, and each time introduces what calligraphy is as a new language art. This time the works of eight artists who attract attention are lined up.

This exhibition, presented in the exhibition review of Bijutsu Techo and Art Collectors, aims to present "New Calligraphy = ART SHODO" as a new trend in art. It is a group exhibition that will surprise you. Enjoy the world view of the different artists.

~Participating Artists~
Ouma
岡淵静
KOUSAI
Kofu Hijikata
Saori Kunihiro
高濱渉
目時白珠
野口裕司

Curator: Hisashi Yamamoto
Hisashi Yamamoto is a leading figure in the field of calligraphy as contemporary art. He was entrusted with Calligraphy for the Next Generation by Masaomi Unagami of Unac Tokyo, the gallery that made Yuichi Inoue famous. in 2015, he debuted with a solo exhibition at Unak Tokyo and is currently working as an exclusive artist for Yumiko Chiba Associates. He is responsible for the secretariat of ART SHODO FESTA.

Title of the work: Barefoot bouncing on a giant cake (feelings)
巨大ケーキの上を素足で跳ねる(気持ち)

After making Ouma's debut as a contemporary artist at Unak Tokyo, the same company as Hisashi Yamamoto, the artist moved presentation venues overseas and presented contemporary artworks in different parts of the world. Since about 2020, Ouma has been presenting a series of linguistic artworks that are aware of onomatopoeia. This is attracting attention. He participated as a guest in the art calligraphy exhibition "SHODO NEW AGE". At present, Ouma belongs to Tugboat, and is currently energetically presenting the works.

Title of the work: SHOOTING STAR

Wataru Takahama's calligraphy fills the screen as an endless continuum of action when written repeatedly. It is like amplification through cell division. In this way, his writing looks alive. I think this is the ideal composition for a book. As much as it makes me think, his foolish act must go on forever.

Title of the work: Petal Lines

Newcomer Saori Kunihiro is an artist whose work is characterized by impressive rows of kana characters on circular panels. First and foremost, there is the concept of "pamphlet" in classical kana, and the characters are freely written where they are written, but in her case they are written intentionally and sometimes randomly. This is due to the fact that the field is circular. The group of written characters is already detached from the linear concept of "line", so their works develop different nuances and transform.

Title of the work: Today's My Paper（Monday,February 6th,2023）

Metoki Hakuju's work is information itself. In the sense that it depicts the outline of the information, not the content of the information. It is a social satire that 'does nothing," and it is not yet decided what it will be, but if you look at the individual lines written like dots in a newspaper, you can see that it is the present. You can see that it is a book of calligraphy that speaks eloquently of the existence of letters without writing them. It is such a strange work.

Title of the work: Ticket for the Time Machine
作品タイトル：タイムマシーンチケット

KOUSAI writes a one-line poem. It can be a casual scene from everyday life or a harsh word. Sometimes it is humorous, sometimes it is something forceful. Man always begins with "just one word" when he speaks. In this sense, KOUSAI's works are always fresh. Calligraphy is created because she speaks with a fresh feeling. What catches her eye when she opens her hanging scroll is a scene from her writer's life.

Title of the work: Sanctuary

The work of Kofu Hijikata is written in different kinds of red pastels. The reason that the letters are not all the same red is related to the nature of the words and expresses the subtle feelings of the author, the difference in consciousness, and the events that result. The written words are different every time, the plot is also different, and the "character" shown by the group of characters is different every time. At the same time, there is always a fluid and subtle change in consciousness.

Title of the work: Shake this tulle cloth.
作品タイトル：このチュール布(ぬの)を揺らせ。

Shizuka Okabuchi seems to be telling us that the many characters born in this world are extremely delicate. It seems that the voice that reaches the heart and the characters that are to be transmitted to the world come from such a mistake that they may or may not disappear here. The voice of her prayer, which is also a monk, thus falls before her eyes.

Title of the work: Maternal Fukuro
作品タイトル：つぶやくふくろ

It has been several years since Yuji Noguchi released a video work of his calligraphy. He was highly rated by the jurors of the competition and debuted last year as the first video artist of calligraphy in the art scene of this country, where his video work itself has not yet gained a foothold. So the opportunity to see his fledgling work is invaluable. The work is a little disappointing at times, but it can be said that it is the personality of the artist. He is one of the artists to keep an eye on in the future.

Overview of ADF Art Gallery Project Vol.20 Calligraphy Exhibition "SHODO NEW WAVE"

Date: Saturday, March 4, 2023 to Monday, March 13, 2023
Opening: March 4, 2023 (Sat) 16:00-17:45
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 (15:00-18:00 on March 4, until 16:00 on March 13)
GARDE Gallery (ALLIANCE Building 4F, 5-2-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
admission free