Free! Surreal! Straightforward! The unique world of Kooka

A Stroll Through the Kanagawa Gallery
File.9 GALLERY COOCA
Shino Yamamoto (Galerie Watts)

I happened to see a flyer with a colorful and cute illustration. Against a light blue background, there was a mysterious girl? Surrounded by sea creatures. "Hmm? I remember observing these for a summer vacation project," a memory from long ago suddenly came flooding back. Drawn to the illustration, which I spontaneously thought of as a modern version of Sea Monkeys, I wanted to see the real thing, so I went to the exhibition. The venue was GALLERY COOCA in Hiratsuka, a place I was visiting for the first time.

After walking through the shopping street on the west side of Hiratsuka Station, what do you know! There was a building in a wide intersection that looked like something out of a movie set. "Cool!" I blurted out, and this was my destination.

Stepping through the retro-style entrance, you'll find a stylish, rustic-modern cafe. There's a counter at the back.
And on the other side of the white panel was the gallery space. There, I found a display of lighthearted paintings that had drawn me here.

The artist is Justine Ikeda. Her works are always accompanied by English text, which describes everyday events and memories. Combined with her drawings, which are composed of clear black lines and solidly applied colors, it's不思議 (mysterious) how even an ordinary moment in everyday life feels very poetic.

And the color combinations are fun and delightful.
"I love rainbow colors, so I often use seven colors. They cheer me up," Justine says.
"This bird, viewed from behind, has an unusual nuance for Justine," explained Momoko Kitazawa, director of the Kooka facility. "People and creatures with round outlines and simple faces are a characteristic pattern of hers and appear frequently. It's as if she draws whatever comes to mind without hesitation. But with this view from behind, I think she observed it carefully and drew the shape that left the strongest impression on her."

Justine's cute illustrations, which capture the hearts of people of all ages , are apparently being incorporated into corporate designs such as cosmetic packaging and T-shirts.

Now, in one corner of the gallery, there is a workspace where artists can work, and today, drawing paper and paints are spread out there.

Suddenly, a man appeared saying, "Excuse me!" and began his fluent sales pitch, explaining, "I will now explain the 'Tsuji Taro Lucky Rake'." His rapid-fire delivery, without a single stumble, concluded with the powerful words, "Your wishes will surely come true!", making you almost want to say, "Yes! I'll take it!" (laughs).
He is Taro Ito, also known by the pen name Taro Tsuji. He is also one of the artists at Kooka. Taro Tsuji is said to be good at memorizing and making many copies of the same thing.

They even made a rake this big! A certain IT company is placing an order for it at the end of the year, which is quite impressive.

It is said that Kooka is home to many unique artists, including someone who creates a multitude of beautiful women by pasting pin-ups of models and actresses on the wall of their desk, someone who creates laid-back, relaxed-style three-dimensional works, and someone who excels at performance.

"Kuka is an atelier for people with disabilities," says Kitazawa.
"Here, we aim to help people find work and success in areas where they can do what they want and what they are good at."

Those who are good at cooking thrive in the cafe. "At first, we only had sandwiches, but there was a lot of variation in how everyone applied the sauce. We realized it was difficult to get everyone to be consistent, so we added pancakes to the menu, which are easier to make using the same amount of ingredients."
The sandwiches are adorned with small flags featuring artwork by Kooka artists, which adds a stylish touch.

Seeing office workers and locals casually coming in, you can tell that it's become a familiar part of the neighborhood.
I thought that this was all thanks to the design skills of the staff at Kooka, and it turns out that many of the staff, including Mr. Kitazawa, are graduates of art universities or have backgrounds in design.

Kitazawa and the staff at Kooka are thinking about the output aspects, such as design licensing, puppet shows, and touring live performances, and it seems that there are increasing opportunities for them to connect with society.

*Justine is in the middle, and Kitazawa is second from the right.

"What we at Kooka are good at is finding and bringing out the interesting and wonderful individuality in people that others have overlooked," says Kitazawa.

This applies to everyone, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, but when your individuality is noticed, it leads to self-affirmation. Sayaka Yokomizo, who wasn't good at communicating with others, won the top prize in a handmade picture book contest organized by Zushi City in 2007. From there, she gradually opened up, and in 2017, she was appointed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a "Special Support Ambassador for Promoting Lifelong Education for People with Disabilities."
It's easy to see why Yokomizo is said to be "good at kamishibai (picture-story shows) where he voices multiple characters by himself," as his works feature a huge number of characters! They are also displayed in the underground passage of Hiratsuka Station, so don't miss them as part of your stroll.

Its predecessor was a welfare facility established in 1992. In 2009, the gallery department within that facility became independent, giving birth to Gallery Kooka. Kitazawa and her colleagues continue to promote the idea that the works of all the approximately 100 people who currently attend the facility can connect with society, and that the relationship between life, people, and art can become richer, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.

I was thinking about why I felt so good while I was at Kooka.
Each piece is straightforward in its expression, and its individuality shines through. The understated expressiveness is compelling . There's no logic, and no need for it. I experienced an impact that made me feel like I was witnessing the true power of art.

Inside the gallery, a small hut sells original goods by the resident artists, covering a wide range of genres including paintings, words, music, and even advice columns. The humorous and sometimes slightly chuckle-inducing expressions make them perfect souvenirs!

They hold a special exhibition once a month, and Justine's exhibition runs until August 30th. By the way, the Sea Monkey-like character that I initially thought was a girl is apparently a "mermaid," according to Justine. I wasn't entirely wrong! Yey!! (lol)

(Interview conducted in August 2019)

Gallery Information
GALLERY COOCA

14-8 Akashi-cho, Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture 213-0032
TEL: 0463-67-752
https://www.studiocooca.com/

Gallery opening days: Please check the website.

"access"
▶︎Approximately 10 minutes on foot from JR Hiratsuka Station