WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION vol.40 : NIPPON ART NOW

2025/02/19 -2025/03/04

WHAT CAFE, Tennoz, Tokyo

information

We are pleased to announce that gallery UG will exhibit at "WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION vol.40 : NIPPON ART NOW," held from Wednesday, February 19, 2025, to Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

gallery UG will feature the works of Takashi ONISHI.


Organized by Warehouse TERRADA, the gallery space & café WHAT CAFE will host "WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION vol.40: NIPPON ART NOW." This exhibition will showcase approximately 150–200 works by 17 outstanding contemporary artists specially invited by WHAT CAFE, available for viewing and purchase.

The exhibition focuses on reimagined Japanese motifs through a modern lens, such as the cultural and spiritual traditions that have deeply influenced Japanese daily life over centuries, as well as iconic landscapes like Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms.

We hope visitors will enjoy a closer connection to the cutting-edge essence of contemporary Japanese art.


The exhibition attempts to evoke in the viewer the "Japanese sense of beauty" that universally exists at the root of the diversified and individualized values of people living today, and at the same time, to reconstruct together with contemporary values the essence of a new Japanese beauty that is not bound by tradition or convention.

Since the beginning of his artistic journey, Takashi Onishi has used watercolor paints to create works primarily based on the color red (aka). Currently, he incorporates the mineral pigment cinnabar (shinsha), a traditional red, into his creations.

In Asia, red long been considered a color with protective qualities, often seen in sacred places such as shrines and temples.
ONISHI identifies a unique and timeless beauty in this traditional Japanese red, making it a central element in his art.

Focusing on themes such as flowers, birds, wind, and moon (kacho-fugetsu), he also draws inspiration from traditional Rimpa expressions, such as the use of clouds, while continually exploring the essence of what he truly wishes to convey through his art.
His works reflect themes derived from the diverse phenomena of contemporary life, including childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut, planets, and beloved characters from games he enjoyed.

By symbolically incorporating clouds, ONISHI fuses the elegance and subtle beauty of traditional Japanese painting with modern motifs, creating a distinctive and captivating world that is uniquely his own.

— gallery UG

▼WHAT CAFE Web
https://cafe.warehouseofart.org/
▼WHAT CAFE SNS
https://www.instagram.com/whatcafe_terrada/

▼Takashi ONISHI Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/onishi_takashi_art/

 

 

Exhibition Information

Exhibition name
WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION vol.40 : NIPPON ART NOW
Session
2025/02/19 -2025/03/04
Hours
11:00 - 18:00  Last day|11:00 - 17:00
Reset
-
Place
WHAT CAFE, Tennoz, Tokyo
Artists
Takashi ONISHI

Artworks

Fluid
F30 (91×72.7)
waterclor, japanese materials on paper/panel
2019

IT Armament
F50 (116.7×90.9)
japanese materials on paper/panel
2014

KOKUBUSOU
F50 (116.7×90.9)
Iwaenogu, japanese materials on paper/panel
2013

(日本語) 夏炉冬扇
F8 (38×45.5)
waterclor, japanese materials on paper/panel
2017

(日本語) 流れ
44×88
acrylic,Foil on paper/panel
2016

To inquire about this exhibition