 |
| 'east – east: vol 4: the curio shop' e-announcement . 2021 (courtesy of sophie mayuko arni) |
i'm exhibiting in tokyo!!! i'm very happy to announce that i am part of the fourth volume of the 'east – east' group show. i participated in the first two volumes back in 2016 (see volume 1 & volume 2), and was my last exhibition in the emirates before moving away for the next two years to pursue my mfa. i'm so glad to be back for the fourth edition, this time in japan!!!
curated by sophie mayuko arni, the exhibition will spread across three venues around tokyo between june and july. please find more information on the exhibition below:
east – east: volume 4: the curio shop
as asia is increasingly gaining traction as the new cultural epicenter, the ‘east – east’ exhibition series aims to explore the layers of cultural exchange at play between contemporary artists from the arabian gulf and japan.
this fourth volume’s title is ‘the curio shop’. inspired by the title of felice beato’s photograph taken in yokohama in 1868, this exhibition seeks to transpose the idea of the 'curio' in today’s tokyo. 'curios', a 19th-century abbreviation for 'curiosities', is used to describe works of fine craftsmanship sold in japan to early foreign settlers. two centuries later, instead of lacquerware and porcelain vases, anime and digital art have emerged as today’s japanese curios. in the gulf, images of postmodern architecture have emerged as some sort of 'jpg curio', instantly recognisable images of its booming economy. this exhibition will present a contemporary version of a cabinet of curiosities blending these two geographies together.
part i: june 18 – july 2, @ hb.nezu
part ii: july 1 - 24, @ ily hub
part iii: july 8 - 23, @ block house b1f
if anyone's in tokyo, please do check out the exhibition(s). tokyo is one of my favorite cities in the world, and has inspired me in so many ways. i haven't been to tokyo since 2006, but it left such a great impression on me. i can't wait to go back and visit when the world is in a better place.
thank you sophie for including me in your exhibition again. can't wait to see how it all looks once opened – stay tuned for photos in a future post...