VENUES

GALLERY SIDE 2 opened in 1997 with the aim of introducing the ideas and works of young contemporary artists who had never shown in Tokyo to the Japanese art scene. With the help of Udomsak Krisanamis and Rirkrit Tiravanija, who have been with the gallery for over 20 years, it has been able to present new ideas that push the existing boundaries of what art can be.

For the past 10 years, the gallery has been working with artists based in Japan and it currently represents seven Japanese artists: Jun Fujita, Takeo Hanazawa, Takahiro Inamori, Yuko Murata, Shizuka Mitsui, Masaru Tatsuki, and Fumito Urabe. These emerging artists have started participating in regional and international group museum exhibitions.

The gallery has also introduced international perspectives to the Japanese scene, including Korean artist Joe Yong Rhee and Italian painter Santi Alleruzzoin. GALLERY SIDE 2 also recently presented Peter McDonald’s first solo exhibition in 10 years. To this day, the gallery continues to work with local and international contemporary artists.

GALLERY SIDE 2 is proud to present its fourth solo exhibition with Shizuka Mitsui, a painter who also adorns vases and pots. In 2014 at Opera City Art Gallery’s project space, she presented a dreamy landscape consisting of a decorative motif and female figures painted on cotton. But the following year, when she had a daughter, her subjects began to include themes from everyday life, such as food, toys, and family. In more recent years, many of her works have been inspired by her grandfather, a first-generation Korean who came to Japan as a trading merchant. Mistui recalls strange objects in her household and recreates them from her memories. In her work, such contemporary pop images are juxtaposed with fragments of traditional culture, creating an uncanny sense of time. This exhibition will consist of paintings, vases encrusted with ceramic details, Korean furniture, and kitchenware.