杜若云章
Translator : Elaine
Proofreader : Santino
"If 50 years of happiness meant, one loving another for 50 years,
then how long are 50 years?”
The little boy with his brows frowned is counting with his fingers.
“50 years should be 150 semesters, excluding the holidays.”
“You would love me for that long? I don’t think you do.”
“Why of course I will; I have loved you for an entire week haven't I?”
The little girl looked at the little boy contentedly.
---- 《Melody》
Artless kids, along with their lovely conversations, warmed the hearts of many.
All those naive thoughts and unfettered emotions always, sometimes unintentionally, moved us. Looking back to the path of developing, we gained and we lost. We made a few jokes, wiped a few tears, yet deep down we felt ourselves transforming, learning and feeling along the way. Being touched by tiny incidents in daily life is worth praising for, especially when one is no longer an innocent child. Artists like to depict “Children”, not only to present that they are still little kids within but also to evoke the viewers’ childlike simplicity hidden beneath their maturity.
This time, JE fine art gallery will be showing the works of five talented Japanese young artists, primarily the works produced by Abe Nyubo and Ikumi Nakada. This exhibition will definitely be a visual feast for those who seek to revisit their childish artlessness back in the early years.
The little girl in the eyes of little girls - Ikumi Nakada
Ikumi Nakada was born in Saitama Japan in 1982. She was a delicate and sensitive child, who was born to be an artist with great interest on portraying children. She usually starts a project by applying very fine lines with pencils, then painting with oil paints.
Her works resembled the style of traditional Japanese painting, as her meticulous applied outlines and elegant color schemes reveal. Taking a close look at the actions and facial expressions of those little girls she created; they were naughty, lovely and fickle, just like every kid around us who would “trick or treat” on a daily basis.
She knew in her heart, there was still a little girl; and she cherished them, valued them, afraid of the future where her remaining innocence has fled. She realized the intimacy of bringing all her artlessness onto canvases and papers, so this precious gift would be saved and anchored upon the girls she created.
The story of a boy with long arms - Abe Nyubo
Abe Nyubo was also born in 1982, his sculptural works were mainly made of wood, a marginalized branch in the field of sculpture, which requires a specific set of skills. In this exhibition, we will showcase Nyubo’s most classic series, groups of sculptures of boys with long arms. They are extremely demanding in terms of sculpting skills, that the curvy smooth outlines of those boys and elongated arms made the already difficult making process more challenging.
The long arms would remind many viewers of airplane wings, as if they were extending infinitely, trying to reach for those dreams and desires high up in the sky. The fearless youth drove us to pursue great goals with great expectations. This braveness inside us diminishes by the trifle happenings during our journey of growing up. Others would look at the long arms, as boys who were trying to maintain their balance on a single-log bridge, which Nyubo intended to remind the audience of the necessity of balancing our wants and needs in life.
Hikari Shimoda, Ai Yamaguchi and Takano Aya
Works of Shimoda are also depicting children, the fluo rescent colors andkids with two-color pupils further add into the fantasy-like atmosphere. She claimed that she wasn’t portraying a particular kid, but anyone viewing her works will see the kid within themselves.
Yamaguchi, on the other hand, loved to create young girls with ornate clothing in Edo period, fusing the traits of contemporary pop art and the traditional Ukiyoe together. Aya is a woman artist in Takashi Murakami’s company KaiKai KiKi. Her works feature animation-like surrealism, which are well-received.
When we were little, we could play hide-and-seek perpetually.
In fairy tales, the prince and princess will always be living happily ever after.
“I don’t even know how long 50 years is, but I will always believe in your committed love.”
But, we will eventually grow up.
To those thwarted hearts...
Embrace the Innocence.
