Fantasía erótica
Japonesa in
from October 9 to December 11, 2008
artstore & cultural events
arts│ fashion │people│ workshops │design│ ideas in movement│ discover!
Culture, 0 eroticism & tradition Updating
the
tradition
of
“images of the floating world” - many of Ukiyo-e -
these painters, digital illustrators, creators of dolls, authors of manga, photographers and film producers, invade the most upcoming art galleries of
Tokyo and Osaka.
Through their works, the old aesthetics of impermanency joins the modern culture of immediacy.
is as the inheritor of a tradition aesthetics and philosophy based on the notion of essential asobi: pleasure and fun.
Like fantasy mirrors, the works reflect a blurred, ambiguous, ghostly and whimsical universe, which haunts the Japanese collective imaginary.
The Japanese have been living for centuries in the Buddhist idea that “all is only illusion”. They have traded a visible for an invisible world and maintain a privileged relation with the virtual beings. The originality of Japanese
erotic art
contemporary is there; in this acute conscience
Colored or full of melancholy, happy or disturbing their works explore a
fantasies
just pleasure is tangible. It is this that
link between art and erotic – between beauty and life – that this exhibition will try to explore, through works of a dozen artists coming from Japan. The artists presenting works in
the innovative heirs of this future exhibition are “
a poetry impregnated by the feeling stemming from the beauty of the world, an ephemeral, delusive beauty, illusory but the more valuable. Each of them in its own way
world of
which invest the world as a playground of possibilities. Their images are much closed to the sacred art, flirting with the invisible and sometimes touching the heart of the primordial
life.
forces of
The 1 artists ARTZ 21 gallery proposes to discover
artists
10 Japanese
among the most re-
presentative of the
generation,
new
the spearheads of contemporary creativity.
Also 4 European artists are presents, whose works can be seen as a distorting mirror of the Japanese eroticism. A funny face-to-face revealing our projections …
Artists from Japan
Nishimaki 2 TORU Born on October 11, 1964 Drawing in fine pencil and then rubbed and reworked until the mania, Nishimaki works are turning around the chaos (disorder) and waste with jhubilation. “I represent the place where I would like to be: Fukuga, a world of pleasure (fuku: happiness. Enga: sensual)… It is a world filled with a profusion of adult toys and sweets. A World perverse and polymorphic as this small octopus character that I put in all my paintings. “ Nishimaki is as expansive as his work, prodigal, overflowing. “I paint the Utopia pleasure,” he said, summing up in one sentence dazzling pleasure to destroy, spend without counting,
in profusion, in an abundance of vital energy that makes us almost touch the idea of the sacred party (matsuri), which is to mimic the fertilizing act of Gods so that the world can triumph of death. Toru published a book in french “splendid Breakdown” (eds. Magnus) and another in Japanese: Kurogiga-ka ( “Black Caricature”). http://www.h7.dion.Ne.jp/ ~kiemqu/
Yasuji 3 WATANABE Born on February 25, 1966 Editor of SM & Sniper, a famous magazine well- known for its artistic publications ( Nobuyoshi Araki has worked since 1979), the photographer Watanabe Yasuji publishes – under the name Amina (Buddha of the compassion) - shifted shots showing girls dressed in doll, face closed, tied in sets of fairy tale dysfunctional. His series of bondage are marked by the Buddhist idea that we are all linked in this unreal life as a dream in which passions fade faster than traces of rope on the skin… Yasuji Watanabe also does videos of erotic shibari
(traditional Japanese bondage), pure masterpieces of dreamlike strangeness, a succession of clips slow and gentle shot in “unclear” landscapes. He did a book published by Reuss ( “Tokyo Girls”) and his photos were also published by Taschen in “The New Erotic Photography”. http://www1.ttcn.ne.jp/ anjindesign
Bee 4 KANNO
look like a mirror, full of desire or ambiguity. She sets ceramic teeth in their mouth, human hair or silk fake hair on their head. She sews their clothes to complete the illusion of a human being. Bee KANNO’s dolls have a human size seem to us that they are quiet real, inhabited by a presence.
Born in 1964 Bee Kanno is one of those sensei, the “masters” who pass on in small schools close to the martial arts, not only an art but a vision of the world: she teaches the art of making kansetsu ningyo, dolls done in white clay with articulated elbow, knees,etc. Her aesthetic is in the lineage of Hans Bellmer and also in the dolls spells of the Shinto religion. These dolls are almost radiating a magical power. They are an erotic copy of woman, which parody their status as object. Bee Kanno’s dolls focused on people a very strange look… Bee Kanno makes them herself, with pupils so tiny that they
http://bee-kanno.co.uk
Junko 5 MIZUNO Born May 27, 1973 near Tokyo Night-clubs fashion design, graphic designer and “poly creative”(CD, T-shirts, websites, fashion dolls), Junko Mizuno is the most subversive manga’s designer. Since his first album “Pure Trance” in 1989, she diverts magical girls - Sailor Moon version trash – but she keeps childish graphics: with their innocent eyes and faces, her heroines are in line with the “kawai” touch. Translation: it is “cute”… in some details. In Junko’s comics, the heroines are armed and human bones or sextoys… Junko Mizuno has also published Hell babies,
Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Pulp and some more fulfilled by crazy pin-ups. Her success drove her to Europe and Junko Mizuno signed the front page of the last best-seller of Virginie Despentes - Bye bye Blondie - a novel like her that talks about young girls with pretty face but acting like Amazons. Junko Mizuno is an international star. She is present in the most prestigious galleries in Italy, USA, France or Germany; she is also a true ambassador of a “pussy Asian power”. h t t p : / / w w w. M I Z U N O JUNKO.com
Hibiki 6 TOKIWA Born in 1966 Photographer and graphic designer in Tokyo, Hibiki Tokiwa signed campaigns brands such as Shiseido or Docomo. He is the model Denki Groove’s books, Stereo Lab, Yann Tomita, etc. As an international DJ he is regularly invited in Paris or London; he participated in remix of Pizzicato Five, Cornelius and YMO and he is one of several groups of electro-pop music: Space Ponch and Midnight Bowlers (along with a few Japanese stars) . His portraits of typical Japanese young girls, he meets in night clubs, shooted by fishe-eye -
with a magnifying glass effect - have profoundly influenced photography in Japan: “I want to create certain closeness with these girls, just as if they were your girlfriend “(dixit Hibiki TOKIWA). Hibiki Tokiwa published in Japan many successful LP: “Girls Sloopy” “Freedom of Choice” “Girl Friends” “Girl Friends 2” “Girl U WANT” “Rolexibition” and more… His works was seen Japan and London. He’s quiet successful. http://www.hibikitokiwa.com
Daisuke 7 ICHIBA
strange face with carnivorous vaginas form. Daisuke Ichiba published several books: “Ezumi,” “Hell”, “fingers and tongues,” “Bada”, “Minds of women”, “Namazuko”, “El suicidio del amor”, etc… He participated in many collective exhibitions in Spain and France.
Born on April 7, 1963 Designer avant-garde during the night and owner of a vintage fashion shop in Nakano (a popular district of Tokyo) during the day, Daisuke Ichiba paints stories without words, the way of Zen riddles (Koan),with Chinese ink and sometimes enhanced by red paint. He talks about himself as a “violence bijin painter “: a painter of cruelty and beauty. He shows us his obsessions with strange, surrealist and “virtual” images. His heroine, a mysterious girl dressed in Japanese schoolgirl, is blindfolded with a knife. Roaming on the river of Death’s bank, she meets creatures with
http://tetorahidoro.xxxxxxxx.jp
Gengoroh 8 TAGAME Born on February 3, 1964 Gengoroh presents himself modestly as a “gay erotic artist,” but this is the best known of all, for the power of his stories of violent initiations. The spirit of bushido (the code of honor for Japanese warriors) has an influence on his images. He is inspired by the prints of hundred warriors by Yoshitoshi, by the Greco-Latin mythology surrounded by athletic Centaurs or super-muscled heroes. G.TAGAME is coming from a family of Samuraï and received a very traditional upbringing & education. Gengoroh is inspired by an ideal of righteousness and very male power. His stories are
always a mix of romance and cruelty. His companion, a gay porn actor works at an SM club. Gengoroh Tagame publishes Manga and illustration since 1986. Its most representative Manga is : Shirogane-no-Hana and Pride. He played a big role in the creation of the magazine G-Men. He signed two books relating the history of the Gay Erotic art in Japan (Gay erotic art in Japan, Volume 1 +2). His Manga are published in France at H & O Comics. Site : http://www.tagame.org Mail :
[email protected]
Kawori 9 INBE Born on November 29, 1980 in Tokyo self-made girl and very gifted, Kawori photograph scenes of fiction surrounded by a certain vision of life like sinking into despair… they are pretty shoolgirls in school’s uniform, a little bite arrogant and sometimes with swollen cheeks. She tries to fix the “bad girl” like for example when she shoots a young girl, seated on her bumps, showing a rebel attitude with skirt inside out under the flag of nationalism. Kawori takes pictures of young girls, who are between two frontiers, enjo kosai (prostitution of minors) and a very “let off
steam” violence. Her photos were published in the famous magazine SM & Sniper. In 2005, Kawori won the Epson Prize and won the prestigious prize APA (Association of photographers advertising). In November 2007, she presented her works at the show Nikon Tokyo (exhibition in solo). In April 2008, she was selected to be part of a collective exhibition at the Nikon Show of Osaka; in July 2008, at the gallery Scion in Los Angeles, she participated in “Vice photo show”. http://www.inbekawori.com
Asako 10 HAYASHI Born on January 14, 1983 Coming from the KAWAI (cute) generation, Asako uses with delight lovely pastel colors, roses and images of girls or pony with big eyes full of stars. But take care and give a second look at it! This candid sweet works as a trap. In the tables of this prolific artist - wash falsely naïve and copper engravings imitating images of books for children - many details just deny the innocence of front page: these images are not what they seem to be at the first sight; they are scenes of sexual crime. Let’s look for evidence of it and admit these works are filled with gentleness
full of poison. Asako lives with the painter Toru Nishimaki. She is his muse and performs in his videos, most of the time, she plays a nasty girl burning her birthday cake with iron or trampling cakes and pastry with a smile on her lips. In 2007, she participated in a collective exhibition in Bangkok: Cross Borders. In 2008, she made her first solo exhibition at the gallery Yoyogi (Tokyo) and wins the artistic Shunyo-kai.
Yoshida 11 KANA Born December 3, 1983 in Tokyo Coming from a Christian family, Yoshida has first a sort of diary with small hearts and romantic memories. Shy, shameful, she draws in secret pictures of naked women, who, under the influence of her teacher in fine art, gradually reveal their anatomy. “First, like Matisse, I drew flowers to hide their nudity. I have invented many flowers that do not exist. But since 2006, I stop to be ashamed of it, so I decided to draw vulvas flourished which are more and more triumphantly in my paintings.”
Graduate of the of Art & Design Tokyo’s school, she realizes her paintings with acrylic or oil paint. Her models show their nudity with jubilation in warm colors, light and solar.
Artists from Europe
Jacques 12 RISTO Born March 25, 1955 in Algiers A pioneer of video art in the early 80, former assistant to the Cahiers du cinema, he lives and works in Aix en Provence, faithfull to the punk’s spirit: he plays with collage and diversion. Jack RISTO teaches in video art and graphic design at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Bourges. Since 2001 he adds surrealist collage to shibari: it suggests new visual associations, poetic and dreamlike, mixing pictures of Japanese tied up and engravings of antique books. He also paints in colors, portraits of young Japanese girls, who are
mysterious, with looks falling into secret thoughts. Jacques Risto likes to stimulate the imagination. He published books that combine Japanese words and images, in order to cause the interrogation… Fascinated by the looks of women - who reflect “unconsciousness inside” - he creates metaphysical charades and draws images that look like riddles. He doesn’t have SM practice but for him, it’s a type of sexuality full of emotion and dreams… He published “Doki Doki-” a very limited series of 10 copies, “Couples-scenes of married life in Japan” and “Notes on sumo.” http://jacquesristo.com
YONILAB 13 Born February 9, 1975 in Annecy French-jap digital complete artist and painter, Yonilab is part of this new generation of artists fed by Japanese series and video games when he was a little boy. His paintings are joyful, he likes to put red, rose, colors of happiness, full of allusion to what makes girls so incredibly irresistible: ChupaChups lollipops, guns, bikinis. His worked is based on photos he did and deformed, also playing games with erotic images downloaded from the Internet. From these photos and work of “redoing” he creates a new painting in several scales, with relief doing something absolutely unique.
To reach this point, he paints on canvas, with acrylic colors, playing transparencies and flat colors as if it was Photoshop. All in an “urban art” touch, a very young style, using stencil and typos signs… As he says, “My style is pop-erotic, but also pink fetish, Kawaii … What he likes to show, is an image of a girl who is fighting for a new place, a fight against codes, clichés, a fighting affirmation of an happy and rebel femininity. “ He exhibited in France and United States. http://yonilab.montaf.com
Emmanuel 14 MOTTU Born on February 15, 1969 in Geneva Painter, video artist, graphic designer from Switzerland, in his official studio in Geneva, Emmanuel Mottu manufactures screens from erotic Japanese prints, big wooden books in 3D you can fold, unfold and samurais of a new generation; mannequin created with recycling pieces of tires, metals, fabrics. He sews, he nails and sticks on a variety of painting-furniture with drawings in trompe-l’oeil, you can compare them to pocket theatres scenes you can install anywhere… His world is a world of illusions. Most of the time, women occupy the foreground and they look at you
everywhere you move. They stare at you with an eye enigmatic, such as sphinxes guarding the entrance to a parallel reality. Their bodies are made with “pieces” of other women, whose are paintings, photos and drawings, copied, cut, enlarged or reduced form an invisible puzzle. Emmanuel glue these spare parts breasts, hips or face to turn them into sensual icons of femininity. Then he installs them in front of a scene such as a vision of apocalypse, a certain “end of the world”, sometimes surrounded by disturbing mechanisms. In his prolific work, mystery and beauty are always present. Emmanuel Mottu is a real European artist, well known established in Switzerland, Belgium and France. He also works in fashion or “fresco paintings” and he created a bar where you can eat noodles and listen to alternative rock. He practices the Japanese sword since 1987. h t t p : / / w w w. v i r b . c o m / livingruins
Víctor 15 SÁNCHEZ Since his start as a painter, Víctor Sánchez was inspired by japanese culture and art. By it he expresses a special fascination for its mystherious theatre, the hanamachi of Kyoto. - When you choose a subject for a painting, which part of it you consider as being an expression of reality? - To be franc, most of the time, the shapes of my models are a free interpretation. But in the other hand, for me, details are very important. For example, every element of the hairdressing, the make - up or the suit in a painting like “Geiko”, is srictly documented. The meaning - code of every detail
in the Okiya tradition is extremely important. Symbolism of colours is also very precise. For example, a geiko, must wear a kimono with a white collar. A maiko, wears an obi - jime (belt band) with a lot of colours, decorated with a pocchiri (a buckle) very delicate. Kanzashi, special hair pins, are also very different, and are changed with season. It’s all a work of research before I start to paint, but it’s particularly interesting to paint and to translate so exigent subjects.
Some artistic projects
Pullip 15 dolls Pullip is a collectible fashion doll. It was created by the Korean company Cheonsang Cheonha and marketed by JUN Planning of Japan. Since release in 2003, other types of dolls were added to the Pullip line. The Pullip, articulated dolls approximately 30 cm tall. A new model is created every month. Production is very limited, so old ones are never repeated and sometimes it’s generating a surge in prices: a Pullip’s dolls in limited series can climb up to 450 €. Why Pullips are so successful? First, because they have huge manga eyes, they look like alive. They are articulated; their eyes move in any directions and can be closed
through 3 small buttons placed at the back of the head. They can be customized. Every girl can create a haircut, a makeup,
unique character and personality. etc. to give them its
That’s the reason why Pullip’s dolls are not really toys for children. Pullip’s success is so big that many girls are creating blogs to present their dolls to a community of fans; they take photos after they are dressed up and masked. Each week, girls exchange their new pics on the web. “For many girls, Pullips are
a way to develop
an artistic sense,” said a
Japanese journalist. They are more real than we can imagine. Sometimes, girls of the same family – like sisters and cousins - can be on the same forum to talk about these so alive dolls and share their photos. “ The question is :
Pullip’s
Is the phenomenon going to invade Spain? Avec
la
participation
Kawaiko.
de
146 rue Saint Denis - 75002 PARIS www.kawaikoparis.com www.kawaiko.fr +33 (0)142 606 694
injection of the silicone. Then the dolls are carefully made up, meticulously manicured, and the pubic hairs are inserted one by one... The silicone is a delicate
Doll 16 Story
touch astonishingly close to human skin. The material which offers a
Doll Story is the exclusive dealer in all Europe of the most advanced range of
erotic
dolls on the market.
Realized by Japanese artists, under M. Hiroo OKAWA’s responsibility, each proposed doll requires more than 100 hours of work. All models are designed with human size ; the dolls measure up to 1m58 (5.18 feet) for a 28 to 35 kilos weight (61 to 77 ponds). Bodies and faces are created by a designer and are worked on by sculptors before designing the moulds of production. Most production steps are hand made : assembling of the articulated skeleton, preparation and
finished doll constitutes a real work of art.
“First choose the body of your dreams ; then choose the face that inspires you... Make your choice on all the personalization options : Skin tone, eyes color, nails shape, type of vagina, pubic hairs... Each one may be chosen among over 30 000 customization possibilities.”
Doll story proposes without any doubts the most realistic erotic dolls of the world. They are also the only ones to combine eroticism with
elegance, sensuality
distinction
with , the play toy with the precious object. They simply exception.
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Avec la participation de
Doll Story
BP 39002 – 69265 Lyon cedex 09 – France www.dollstory.eu + 33 (0)478 273 066
of
open tuesday to saturday every pm HAPPY ARTZ HOURS on thursday 18-22 h more info on www.artz21.com
av. marquès de l’argentera, 21 08003 barcelona tel. +34 932 687 402 www.artz21.com
