渋谷七奈≪東に生まれて≫ (2024) 240x330x20mm キャンバスにペンキ、アクリル絵具、鉛筆、木炭

Original in Japanese: https://sugimurajun.shiomo.jp/archives/11307

SHIBUYA Nana’s artworks seem to demonstrate an affirmation of our existence as humans. Through her fluid and dynamic fluctuation of lines and edges, she jots down her daily footprints and thoughts on both paper and canvas in her production. Paired with a more rough and primitive ambience, her more current works continue to explore universal questions that go beyond the framework of images, words and letters.

The artist has been recently exploring the concept of mourning. And in particular, she has been questioning the completeness of the ritual of honoring those who have passed on. One of these characteristics, based on a legend by Neanderthals, includes offering flowers to the deceased.

In “The Two Wheels of Light”, this exhibition will feature works derived from her own memories and experiences of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. When the disaster occured, the artist and her mother were searching for any available water and food they could find. She cycled to Shiogama from her home residence of Tagajo next door just to, in her words, “stay alive”. Shibuya’s mother died some time ago after the disaster, and shares that the image of her passing is still vivid in her mind and memories.

Alongside her drawings and paintings shown in this exhibition, she also attempts to intersect these with her own fieldwork. SHIBUYA quotes words and poems she has read and discovered while researching and interviewing poets about Miyagi Prefecture and the Tohoku region of northern Japan.

SHIBUYA says that It is acknowledged that sometimes, it is not easy to remember an unforgettable past, or to think of those who have left us in this world. Shes says that her works, based on the her own intimate recollections, hope to foster comfort, remind us of the universality of of life and death that we all commonly share, and in turn, bring forth precious memories in our own lives.

SHIBUYA Nana

Born in 1994 in Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture, Nana Shibuya studied Japanese painting at the graduate school of the Tohoku University of Art and Design and graduated in 2019 with a degree in Art and Culture. She currently lives and works in Yamagata. SHIBUYA paints to capture fragments of everyday life, depicting precious memories and scenes. In recent years, her works have been concerned with the nature of mourning and remembrance.

WEB: https://shibuyanana.com

Date: Saturday July 13th through Sunday September 1st 2024
Hours: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
Closed Mondays (except for July 15th and August 12th)
At the special exhibition room 2 of Sugimura Jun Museum of Art (Shiogama City), 30 minutes east of Sendai

Admission (permanent collection + special exhibition):
For individuals
• Adults: 500 yen
• University / High school students: 400 yen
• Junior high school students and under: Free

Discount for museum members and people with special needs.
Please note that for visitors with special needs and one accompanied person, they can receive a 50% discount for admission. Please let us know upon your visit.

For groups of 20 or more
• Adults: 400 yen
• University / High school students: 320 yen
• Junior high school students and under: Free

Translated by JUNBI Supporters