Seeing yourself through art
Kanagawa Gallery Walk
File.14 Gallery Pictor
Yamamoto Shino (Galerie Watts)
I run the gallery with the hope that more people will be able to experience the power and fun of art, but I often feel frustrated when customers dismiss it with just one word: "It's difficult."
Although I don't come from an art background, I can still say that "art is not something so distant, and in fact it is something that you can connect with in any way you like."
I visited the gallery after reading an essay by Sachi Nakajima of Gallery Pictor, who said, "Art is not just about healing and the extraordinary."
Gallery Pictor is located in Kamakura. Exit the west exit ticket gate at Kamakura Station, where the Enoshima Electric Railway station is located, and walk along Onari-dori Street. The street has a more relaxed atmosphere than the Komachi-dori street.
When you reach Yuigahama Street, turn right and after a while you'll reach the gallery, but if you look up a little along the way, you'll enjoy the store signs and facades. I walked along, taking in the charms of Kamakura, such as its old-fashioned charm, seaside nuances, history, and location, and it took me a while to reach the gallery (laughs).
When you come across a tall, simple building, go up to the second floor and you will find Gallery Pictor .
This exhibit showcases works by contemporary artists from Japan and abroad.
"When it comes to art, there is a tendency for the concept to take precedence, but I would like to introduce works that have a contemporary context, are universal, and have a solid artistic expression," says gallery owner Sachi Nakajima.
The work of dyeing and weaving artist Rentaro Kawamoto, one of the three people in the exhibition that was currently being held, is made up of ripped fabric, and the material is secondhand clothing collected from both Japan and overseas. The vivid yellow and red work is said to use a Kodak film logo T-shirt.
As someone from the film generation, I felt nostalgic, and the revival of the company's corporate color, Kodak Yellow, reminded me of the passage of time and the end of the Kodak vs. Fujifilm (whose corporate color is green). I also remembered that various conflicts are still occurring today due to the speed of the times.
"Textiles have been part of daily life all over the world, from pre-Christian times onwards. I think it's fascinating how they weave together modern activities with textiles that reflect history, culture and regional characteristics. Materials also change over time, and the richness of textures makes textile works fascinating," says Nakajima.
Starting on March 27th, a solo exhibition will be held where visitors can see new works by Rentaro Kawamoto that are linked to Zen.
What caught my eye for a long time was the work of Hoshino Mitsuko, an artist living in Germany.
As you move, depending on the angle, a faint image will appear on the blank screen.
People tend to try to capture things that seem visible but are not, or transience, and it was with this same feeling that I found myself pacing back and forth in front of this piece for ages. As I savored the sight, I wanted to list the keywords that came to mind and find the source of why it intrigues me.
The current uncertain situation caused by COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to rediscover our true essence. This work, which allows you to see the painting clearly depending on your position, seemed to make me return to my true essence again and again.
It's interesting to read the artist statement later and understand the artist's intentions, which then deepens your own thoughts. In this way, art becomes a part of you.
Two years have passed since Nakajima launched the gallery, and he says he has a new understanding of his role.
This means changing the perception that art is not just something that provides healing or something out of the ordinary, but also "a medium that shows us the real world from various perspectives."
When you connect points of interest, they form lines and then surfaces, expanding your view of the world. He believes that art can be a nodal point that transcends disciplines, and he wants to share various points as a platform to explore what is important.
But of course, it's up to the viewer to connect the dots. In other words, rather than just relying on the information you've been given, if you take a bird's-eye view of your inner self and your current environment, you might find clues on how to move forward even when the future is uncertain.
Nakajima's essays, serialized on the gallery site, are always very interesting and highly recommended.
(Interviewed February 2021)
Gallery Information
Gallery Pictor
Kamakura Tailor Building 2F, 3-1-28 Yuigahama, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
TEL: 080-7085-8404
Business hours: 11:00 - 17:00
Opening hours: Mondays and Tuesdays (closed on any day during exhibition changeover)
Parking: None
https://gallery-pictor.com/
"access"
▶︎Get off at Enoshima Electric Railway "Wadazuka" station. About 3 minutes walk
Approximately 10 minutes on foot from the west exit of Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line
Rentaro Kawamoto Exhibition "Fabric of Time"
Saturday, March 27, 2021 - Sunday, April 25, 2021 Gallery Pictor
April 2nd (Fri) - April 4th (Sun), 2021 Kenchoji Temple, Ryuoden
*For more details, please click here
