The “Tsubaki-kai” is a group show launched in 1947 with the reopening of the Shiseido Gallery following the wartime suspension of its activities. Named after the camellia (tsubaki) of the Shiseido symbol mark, and grounded in the belief that art has the capacity to offer hope and courage, Tsubaki-kai exhibitions have been staged even at times of post-war restriction, disaster and recession, out of a desire to help the world flourish once more.
Members of the 8th Tsubaki-kai are Hiroshi Sugito, Ryuji Nakamura, Nerhol, Futoshi Miyagi, Aiko Miyanaga, and [mé]. Their cross-genre activities and collaborations, and team-based production, make all these artists especially representative of their era.
Coronavirus pandemic has changed the mindset of artists and their gaze toward the world. In 2021, on the theme of “Impetus,” the artists made selection from the art collected by Shiseido at previous Tsubaki-kai exhibitions works that spark ideas around this “new world.” By presenting what they have chosen from the collection, and their personal responses to it, via their own works and methods, they attempted to bring new perspectives to the collection works, and create links between these, and the future. In 2022, with the theme of "Quest," we deepened the sharing of ideas among members, brought together their own artworks and things they treasure as materials, and created a collective space where the exhibition itself became a work of art.
As the artists this year continue their exploration of “richness” in the new, post-coronavirus world, two new key words have emerged: “leaving (as is)” and “indifference.” The idea is that turning attention to “leaving” matters to take their natural course, rather than taking them into our own hands, and to “indifference,” may prompt the emergence of new types of value. Behind this idea is an expectation that the subtle resistance to regimes of control that has been accelerated by the pandemic, and on the other hand, the leaving of things to others, and knowledge of things previously unthought of, may result in the creation of new ways of living together, and a freer world richer in many ways. Pursuing this line of thought, the artists arrived at a desire to value that which is “Just/Here/Now.” For this final exhibition, each will make a new work serving as the culmination of their past three years gaining experience and building relationships with each other. These will then be assembled into an exhibition taking their collective offerings to a higher level.
Visits with Nerhol to the studios of the eighth Tsubaki-kai artists this year will be covered on the Shiseido Gallery website and social media. Information on related programs and other ways to make the exhibition experience even more enjoyable will also be shared as it becomes available. We hope this Tsubaki-kai will once again serve as a setting for sharing different new kinds of value, and exploring new possibilities for co-creation.
The logo of "Tsubaki-kai 8" is newly designed by Yoshihisa Tanaka (graphic designer / Nerhol) every year.