The source is intuition; beneficial to the five senses.
A Stroll Through the Kanagawa Gallery
File.10 Ofuro-so
Shino Yamamoto (Galerie Watts)
"The water is heated using 100% firewood, so it's very soft, good for the skin, and warms you to the core," said Takatsu-yu, a public bathhouse located just a two-minute walk from Takatsu Station on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line, which had been loved by locals for many years. Kawasaki Frontale also promoted the bathhouse with their slogan, "Let's take a bath together," but sadly it closed in 2015.
That building has now become a shared office and gallery for artists. The building itself has been preserved, and it's even given the name "Ofuro-so" (Bath House).
I heard a rumor, so I'll pop in for a bit! No, I mean, I'll be heading out now.
Oh! The sign for Takatsu-yu is still there. Actually, a long time ago, when our house was under construction and we couldn't use our bathroom, my husband and children used it. Now that I think about it, I kind of regret not taking a bath there myself. I was worried about running into neighbors. (laughs)
The black rotary phone at the front desk gives it a very retro feel, but it was still in use until just a few years ago, so even those born in the Heisei era could fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Showa era at Takatsu-yu.
Now, once you pass through the women's bath, you'll find the artists' studios.
In the changing area, contemporary decorator Kohei Kyomori, artist yutaokuda, and flower artist Takashi Shirakawa are at work. There are also three creators in the space with the bathtub, working on music, dyeing, and other projects.
Kyomori's works, with their eye-catching colorful graphics, feature striking Japanese motifs while also conveying a Western nuance. She says that her two years studying in Italy gave her an opportunity to reflect on her identity as a Japanese person, and at the same time, eliminating ethnic prejudice and discrimination through art became a major theme in her work.
▲A sense of depth created by partially raised ink.
"From the history of how cultures have developed by crossing national borders and influencing each other through decorative elements, I believe that the emergence of a shared sensibility between ethnic groups has the power to eliminate barriers," says Kyomori. Her work features skull motifs and the A-un (open-mouthed and closed-mouthed) concept. Through the universally shared concepts of life and death, she poses questions to the viewer about human equality.
On the other hand, yutaokuda's work is characterized by its detailed monochrome expression.
The motifs, often animals and plants, are drawn with extremely fine lines as thin as 0.03 millimeters, and exude a certain elegance.
▲The artwork, created with conductive ink and playing music when touched, is a catchy piece.
"That's probably because they originally started out in the fashion industry."
Yuta Okuda, who said this, worked as a designer for the fashion brand "TAKEO KIKUCHI" before becoming an independent artist.
Inspired by the worldview expressed by Alexander McQueen, he pursued a career in fashion, but he realized that McQueen's true essence was not that of a fashion designer, but of an artist, and that's when he finally understood what he was aiming for.
"Art is a projection of oneself, a way of expressing one's true self. Because there's no room for pretense, when someone says they like my work, it's like they're praising me for who I am, and that's what motivates me to paint."
Coincidentally, Ms. Kyomori and I share a common background: we both graduated from Istituto Marangoni, Italy's oldest and most prestigious fashion and design school. Ms. Kyomori attended the Italian campus, while I attended the London campus, but we met in Japan several years after graduation—what a coincidence! Life is so interesting!
And the fact that they strive for high levels and inspire each other is truly wonderful.
What I like about Ofuro-so is the presence of flowers. Like art, they are an important element that enriches the soul. Shirakawa-san of (hana-naya), who also handles spatial displays for apparel and other businesses, has a bright personality that makes you an instant fan even if it's your first time meeting him. The two artists say he's like a fun big brother. The three of them will also be holding the "We've Started Ofuro-so Exhibition" in the summer.
"Women's love for flowers is incredible. I wanted to deliver flowers to people who, due to aging or poor health, want to go buy flowers as before but can't, so I left a major flower shop and started a delivery style business," says Shirakawa, who operates a mobile sales business in addition to her shop in the Nakameguro area, riding a stylish three-wheeled bicycle.
▲It seems everyone looks forward to their monthly delivery.
"I choose flowers based on my intuition on the day I go to the market. The producers are working hard and growing flowers with various nuances, which gets me excited. I want to have a flexible approach rather than just arranging flowers that are all the same," says Shirakawa. Her bouquets are not designed in an elaborate way, but rather lightly combined with an awareness of working with nature.
Now, if you go through the men's bath, you'll find a salon and gallery space. The Space Invaders arcade game machines bring back nostalgic memories.
The tiled floor, faucets, showers, and mirrors—the very essence of a traditional Japanese public bathhouse—have been transformed into an event space. It serves as a venue for various artists to express themselves, and its non-white cube setting seems to inspire the creative spirit of its creators. 
"It would be great if places to experience art and creativity had the same casual feel as a public bathhouse where you can just drop in. With that in mind, we've kept the atmosphere of a public bathhouse," says Miho Nakamura of NENGO, who is in charge of planning and producing Ofuro-so.
▲When I visited NENGO's place, which is also in Takatsu Ward, they had a gong instead of a doorbell!
The unfortunate thing is that Ofuro-so is only open for a limited time until September 2020.
Since we already have artists like Kyomori-san and Yutaokuda-san, who are highly regarded overseas, I hope this place will become like the Tokiwa-so of the manga world. Just imagining aspiring artists being nurtured here makes me excited.
I strongly hope that this place will become a sacred site, befitting its connection to ceramic artist Shoji Hamada and artist Taro Okamoto, and the Oyama Highway area where cultural figures have frequented.
(Interview conducted in October 2019)
Gallery Information
Ofuro-so
3-8-13 Mizoguchi, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture 213-0001
TEL: 044-829-3324
Gallery hours: Please check the website.
https://www.facebook.com/ofuroso/
"access"
▶︎Approximately 2 minutes on foot from Takatsu Station on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line
Artist Information
■Kohei Kyomori https://www.kohei-kyomori.com/
