Tokyo’s New Art spot, TERRADA ART COMPLEX, Tennoz is booming! Full of Zen spirit and Kawaiiby Saori Takeda

Tokyo offers a comfortable, safe vacation and a collection of unique galleries that are home to some of the next generation’s leading artists. In addition to the art districts of Ginza and Roppongi, which have been well-known to the world’s high income people, Tennoz on Tokyo Bay is now booming. Originally a logistics hub for shipping, Tennoz was a warehouse district, but since the opening of TERRADA ART COMPLEX I in 2016 and TERRADA ART COMPLEX II in 2020, it has come to occupy a position alongside Ginza and Roppongi.

The well-kept garden area includes stylish cafes. There are always art events going on somewhere in Tennoz, and it has become a trend among Western art fans to include a visit to TERRADA ART COMPLEX in their travel schedule to Japan. The level of skill of Japanese contemporary art artists, who specialize in delicate craftsmanship, is high, art fans from around the world come looking for unique works of art that suit their tastes and that they have never seen before. For Western art fans, there are many treasure trove.

Japanese people have had the spirit of Zen drilled into their bodies from an early age, and their artwork exudes a deep sense of tranquility and eternal peacefulness.

Nami Okada‘s solo exhibition, VOID, was particularly popular in August 2023. Okada also exhibited at VOLTA BASEL2021 in Switzerland and VOLTA NEW YORK2020, and her works were almost sold out at Art Fair Tokyo 2023. void, No.100, 130.3cm×162.1cm, acrylic and lacquer, 2023– in a landscape of waves, circles float in the air, derived and circulated. Seemingly expressing the spirit of Zen, which is derived from and revolves around it. In Zen, nothingness is also considered precious. Wave landscapes are popular among the world’s art fans, but Okada’s wave landscapes are philosophical. void, No.99, 130.3cm×162cm, acrylic and lacquer, 2023– Okada‘s work is characterized by an exquisite combination of figuration and abstraction. In this work, Okada uses a double image technique. The abstract part of the work is interesting because it reflects dynamic physical movement. The figurative part of the work gives an impression of familiarity to the viewer. one view, No. 91, 194 cm x 162 cm, acrylic and lacquer, 2023– this work evokes a sense of positive deja vu and nostalgia.

The artist collaged scenes from her own childhood school route to create a mental landscape. Each person’s image of a landscape or building differs according to their own experiences, memories, and recollections. In other words, a place can have many different images. Okada believes that “a certain meaning can be brought to a landscape only when people’s thoughts and feelings overlap with it,” and the theme of her works is the relationship between “landscapes imbued with images” and “landscapes that do not yet have meaning”.

Okada will also exhibit at Mother Gallery in Beacon, NYC in October 2023. Many Asian artists also exhibit in Tennoz. Popular with young art fans in Taiwan, Shida Kuo, born in Taiwan and now lives in NYC, has taught in the Department of Art and Art Professions at New York University since 1993. Kuo‘s curves are simple and warm. This graceful roundness is not unique to Orientals, but has been etched into human being’s cells since time immemorial, and is something we are irresistibly drawn to, regardless of race.

Indeed, angular objects have no place in nature. The beauty of sharp sculpture is artificial and gives a sense of solemnity and tension. This group of works, created before and after the Corona Disaster, creates an architectural space where the works respond to each other, calming and soothing. Three works placed on tatami mats give the impression of excavated ancient tools. Wood added to ceramic to create a humorous, organic finish. The curves give the works living forms, and each piece seems to be a living thing. The works seem to be talking to each other. The exhibition will continue until September 7 2023. Kawaii (cute) works welcome you.

The works of Japanese and Asian artists in TERRADA ART COMPLEX, Tennoz are full of the spirit of Zen, evoking a sense of wisdom and compassion. Art fans visiting from around the world will experience a sense of freedom from the constraints of existence and a transcendence of reality.

The list of galleries at TERRADA ART COMPLEX include:

MAKI https://www.makigallery.com/

KOTARO NUKAGA https://kotaronukaga.com/en/

Kodama Gallery https://kodamagallery.com/fronteng/

Takuro Someya Contemporary Art https://tsca.jp/

ANOMALY http://anomalytokyo.com/en/upcoming-exhibition/

TOMIO KOYAMA GALLERY http://tomiokoyamagallery.com/en/

SCAI PARK https://www.scaithebathhouse.com/en/gallery/park/

KOSAKU KANECHIKA https://kosakukanechika.com/en/

YUKIKO MIZUTANI https://yukikomizutani.com/

gallery UG https://gallery-ug.com/en/

MU GALLERY https://www.mugallery-tokyo.com/en/