[ARTIST NEWS] Animator Mai Yoneyama and contemporary artist Kenji Yanobe's collaborative work "SUN SEEKER" will be unveiled for the first time at the event "ART SESSION," which begins on Friday, August 30th.
▼ Overview
overview
GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS (6th floor, GINZA SIX, Chuo-ku, Tokyo) will be showcasing a collaborative work by animator Mai Yoneyama and contemporary artist Kenji Yanobe at the event "ART SESSION by GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS," which will begin on Friday, August 30th.
A collaborative work by contemporary artist Kenji Yanobe, who created the giant installation "BIG CAT BANG" that will be exhibited in the central atrium of GINZA SIX from spring 2024, and animator/illustrator Mai Yoneyama, who was also selected for "START ART FAIR 2021" held at the Saatchi Gallery in London, will be exhibited at the art event "ART SESSION by GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS "from Friday, August 30th. Born from a close exchange, the new work "SUN SEEKER" was created based on Yoneyama's reinterpretation and new drawing of Yanobe's works "SHIP'S CAT" and "Sun Sister".
Come see the new frontiers of these two artists, who seamlessly cross the borders of art and animation, digital and analog, at GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS.
The encounter between Kenji Yanobe and Mai Yoneyama
Mai Yoneyama met Kenji Yanobe, director of Ultra Factory at Kyoto University of the Arts, in 2023. Yoneyama requested to stay and create at the studio for a large solo exhibition planned for that year. Impressed by Yoneyama's passionate approach to her work, Yanobe arranged for her to stay for two months, taking into consideration the impact on students. This production experience led to the two of them deepening their communication even more.
Artist interview published in relation to the production of this work
About the work
SHIP'S CAT is a sculpture of a cat that Kenji Yanobe created in 2017, based on the motif of the "sailor cat" that has traveled with humans since ancient times, as a guardian deity of travel that brings good fortune. Wearing a suit like a space suit or a diving suit, it watches over the journey of humanity, not only for those who travel today, but also for the young people of the future, and is exhibited and permanently installed in various places in Japan and around the world.
Sun Sister is a monument of hope that Kenji Yanobe created in 2015 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Permanently installed in front of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, it stands on the earth in the present, holding the sun in its right hand and remembering the past and gazing towards the future, as a symbol of people who have overcome various hardships.
For her new work, "SUN SEEKER," Mai Yoneyama came up with a new image that she projected herself onto, using the motifs of "SHIP'S CAT" and "Sun Sister." She depicted an image of a girl chasing the sun, finding light (hope) and running off, like a mirror, with a cat supporting her as she runs.
Based on Yoneyama's worldview and sketches, Yoneyama painted the image of "Sun Sister" on multiple acrylic panels like a transforming animation, a flipped cel drawing, and Yanobe Kenji joined pieces of stainless steel together to match Yoneyama's touch to create a sculpture of a cat supporting the figure. This work can be said to be a new piece born out of the resonance of Yoneyama and Yanobe's worldviews, sensibilities, and techniques.
For her new work, "SUN SEEKER," Mai Yoneyama came up with a new image that she projected herself onto, using the motifs of "SHIP'S CAT" and "Sun Sister." She depicted an image of a girl chasing the sun, finding light (hope) and running off, like a mirror, with a cat supporting her as she runs.
Based on Yoneyama's worldview and sketches, Yoneyama painted the image of "Sun Sister" on multiple acrylic panels like a transforming animation, a flipped cel drawing, and Yanobe Kenji joined pieces of stainless steel together to match Yoneyama's touch to create a sculpture of a cat supporting the figure. This work can be said to be a new piece born out of the resonance of Yoneyama and Yanobe's worldviews, sensibilities, and techniques.
Text: Manabu Miki (art critic/color researcher)
Photo by: Tsunemasa Omote
About the exhibition
The works will be exhibited at the central event space, GINZA ATRIUM, as part of the "ART SESSION by GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS" exhibition for four days from Friday, August 30 to Tuesday, September 2. After the event, the exhibition will be extended from Wednesday, September 3 to Sunday, September 8 in front of the information counter inside the store.
Artist Profile
Mai Yoneyama
Originally from Nagano Prefecture, he built his career as an animator at an animation company, and then worked as an illustrator while also directing videos, releasing works for commercials and music videos. Making use of his background, he is working on creating works that explore the possibilities of new media, using various expressive methods in the context of animation and digital illustration. His work "00:00:00:00", exhibited at the exhibition "START ART FAIR 2021" held at the Saatchi Gallery in London, England, is a collective work consisting of 16 pieces, and is a work that symbolizes his background as an illustrator with a background as an animator.
Kenji Yanobe
Contemporary artist/Professor at Kyoto University of Arts
Born in Osaka in 1965. Since the early 1990s, he has been creating large, functional mechanical sculptures with the theme of "survival in modern society." His humorous forms and social messages have been highly praised both in Japan and overseas. In 2017, he began creating the "SHIP'S CAT" series, which uses the motif of a sailor cat as a guardian deity of travel. "SHIP'S CAT (Muse)" (2021) will be permanently installed as the symbol of the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, which opens in 2022.
Born in Osaka in 1965. Since the early 1990s, he has been creating large, functional mechanical sculptures with the theme of "survival in modern society." His humorous forms and social messages have been highly praised both in Japan and overseas. In 2017, he began creating the "SHIP'S CAT" series, which uses the motif of a sailor cat as a guardian deity of travel. "SHIP'S CAT (Muse)" (2021) will be permanently installed as the symbol of the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, which opens in 2022.
ART SESSION Overview
This event is based on the concept of the word "SESSION" and brings together a variety of expressions. It brings together the "now" of various generations who continue to challenge themselves to create new expressions in the contemporary art scene, including artists who are active worldwide, artists who have attracted attention at domestic art fairs and competitions, and artists with diverse cultural backgrounds such as street, fashion, and graphic design.
「ART SESSION by 銀座 蔦屋書店」
会場｜銀座 蔦屋書店内 GINZA ATRIUMほか
期間｜2024年8月30日（金）～9月2日（月)
※8月30日、31日は招待者限定公開日。一般公開は9月1日、 2日11:00～20:00
入場｜無料
お問い合わせ｜03-3575-7755（営業時間内のみ対応）/info.ginza@ccc.co.jp
