Eisuke Sato

Eisuke Sato was born in Oita Prefecture in 1973. After completing his master's degree at American University in 2001, he was discovered by Takashi Murakami at "GEISAI 4" in 2002 and received the Liquitex Award. Our gallery began collecting his works due to his unique expression. He was introduced at "ARTIST BY ARTIST" at the Mori Art Center Gallery in Roppongi Hills the following year. Sato has continued to present his works regularly at our gallery since 2004, with notable pieces in collections like the Takahashi Collection. Currently, he lives in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, known for Tenryo Water, where he continues to create art while running his family's forestry business. In this environment, water, trees, and his own existence are deeply intertwined, forming the core of his expression. His art, exploring life and death, mirrors the passage of time seen in the rings of felled trees, questioning his reason for being.

Ayako Okuda

Ayako Okuda was born in Osaka in 1980 and graduated from the Osaka University of Education's graduate school in 2005. She received the Encouragement Prize at the "Yumehiroba Haruhi Painting Biennale" the same year and subsequently took up a teaching position. She was selected for the Shell Art Award Exhibition the following year and has continued to hold solo exhibitions in Osaka and our gallery. Last year, her work was acquired by Mizuho Bank in New York. Okuda often depicts landscapes from her travels, especially vast seas and mountains, with people uniquely illuminated by light and shadow. The figures, while appearing small within the grand scale of nature, blend seamlessly into the landscapes, showcasing human existence intertwined with nature. Her work is a combination of real sceneries she observed and emotionally filtered memories, creating a deeply resonant representation of landscapes.

Yosuke Kobashi

Yosuke Kobashi was born in Nara Prefecture in 1980. After graduating from Osaka University of Arts in 2003, he participated in the Kobe Art Annual in 2004 and held a solo exhibition at the Mito Art Tower Criterion in 2006 while also being recommended for the VOCA exhibition. His works, known for their free and rich color compositions, were highlighted in the group exhibition "Nostalgia & Fantasy: Imagination in Contemporary Art" at the National Museum of Art in 2014. In 2019, he participated in a two-person exhibition "Tobimasu" with Kawashima at our gallery, which traveled to various locations. Recently, Kobashi has been energetically exhibiting his works nationwide, including a notable two-person exhibition "Pink Noise Dance" in a soon-to-be-demolished building, utilizing the space for installations. His self-portrait series, characterized by bold colors and dynamic lines reminiscent of Gauguin and Matisse, has been a staple of his work. His recent works expand to depict familiar people and everyday plants, embracing a more inclusive expression without ideological constraints, symbolizing a diverse society.

Yoshiko Fukushima

Yoshiko Fukushima was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1985 and graduated from the Musashino Art University's Department of Oil Painting in 2009. During her university years, she won the Jury Prize at the Shell Art Award Exhibition in 2006 and the Grand Prix in 2007. In 2014, she expanded her activities by illustrating columns for the Shinano Newspaper and designing the cover for the "Hyonnam Oppa: Korean Feminist Fiction Collection." Her works are included in collections such as the Piggot Collection and the Benetton Foundation. Fukushima's art focuses on portraits, often depicting multiple figures with distinctive, somewhat dark expressions. Her early works, characterized by unique facial colorations and intense gazes, have evolved into more realistic depictions based on past memories, using images of familiar and unknown people to create evocative and realistic portrayals.

Yuka Ohtani

Yuka Ohtani was born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1977. She graduated from the Department of Painting, Oil Painting Course at Tama Art University in 2001 and completed her graduate studies in painting at the same university in 2003. In the same year, she received the Kunio Motoe Prize at the Showa Shell Sekiyu Contemporary Art Award and the VOCA Encouragement Prize at the "VOCA Exhibition 2003." In 2010, she won the second Kuniyoshi Award. Since 2013, she taught at Akita University of Art while continuing her artistic activities until her untimely death at the age of 46 in 2023. From 2004 to 2009, she held regular solo exhibitions at our gallery and participated in "The Fate of Painting" at the Fuchu Art Museum in 2005. Otani's work features limited colors and motifs, creating conceptual worlds with strong messages. Her use of colors symbolized various concepts: green for creation, pink for reality, red for time, white for harmony, and black for possibility. She developed series like "Kimidori no Heya" and "Usagi Nezumi," the latter representing her dual nature with the fragile rabbit and the prolific mouse. After the 3.11 earthquake, her focus shifted to expressing Japanese sensibilities and aesthetics through black-themed works, using simple lines and vivid flowers against black backgrounds to visualize the invisible human heart.