SHIKISAISHA is pleased to present the group exhibition "Neo-Japonisme", on view at ShinQs Gallery 5, 5th Floor, Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs, from July 30 to August 12, 2026.
This exhibition explores how the unique aesthetic sensibilities of Japan continue to be inherited and reinterpreted through the practices of contemporary artists.
In the latter half of the nineteenth century, Japanese art and craft profoundly influenced Europe, giving rise to the cultural phenomenon known as Japonisme. The bold compositions of ukiyo-e prints, the refined decorative qualities of traditional crafts, and a distinctive appreciation of nature introduced new artistic perspectives to the West, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today.
Neo-Japonisme, as presented in this exhibition, is not an attempt to replicate historical styles. Rather, it proposes a contemporary reinterpretation of Japanese aesthetics, presenting them through the diverse perspectives and artistic practices of four contemporary artists:
Haruomi Izumi
Naoya Oshima
Beniko Choji
Natsuko Yamazaki
We warmly invite you to visit the exhibition and experience these works firsthand.
SHIKISAISHA is pleased to present the group exhibition "Neo-Japonisme", on view at ShinQs Gallery 5, 5th Floor, Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs, from July 30 to August 12, 2026.
This exhibition explores how the unique aesthetic sensibilities of Japan continue to be inherited and reinterpreted through the practices of contemporary artists.
In the latter half of the nineteenth century, Japanese art and craft profoundly influenced Europe, giving rise to the cultural phenomenon known as Japonisme. The bold compositions of ukiyo-e prints, the refined decorative qualities of traditional crafts, and a distinctive appreciation of nature introduced new artistic perspectives to the West, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today.
Neo-Japonisme, as presented in this exhibition, is not an attempt to replicate historical styles. Rather, it proposes a contemporary reinterpretation of Japanese aesthetics, presenting them through the diverse perspectives and artistic practices of four contemporary artists:
Haruomi Izumi
Naoya Oshima
Beniko Choji
Natsuko Yamazaki
We warmly invite you to visit the exhibition and experience these works firsthand.
Haruomi Izumi
Haruomi Izumi (b. 1979, Chiba, Japan) received his M.A. in Design from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2005. Working primarily with plants and landscapes, he reinterprets natural forms through refined patterns and geometric structures, expressing a contemporary vision of Japanese aesthetics. Izumi has held numerous solo exhibitions across Japan, including a solo exhibition at Seizan Gallery New York in 2020, and has participated in international art fairs in Italy, the United Kingdom, New York, and elsewhere.
Haruomi Izumi (b. 1979, Chiba, Japan) received his M.A. in Design from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2005. Working primarily with plants and landscapes, he reinterprets natural forms through refined patterns and geometric structures, expressing a contemporary vision of Japanese aesthetics. Izumi has held numerous solo exhibitions across Japan, including a solo exhibition at Seizan Gallery New York in 2020, and has participated in international art fairs in Italy, the United Kingdom, New York, and elsewhere.
Naoya Oshima
Naoya Oshima (b. 1995, Gifu, Japan) completed his PhD in Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2024. Through a process of cutting, rearranging, and translating photographs and existing visual imagery into painting, he explores the shifting boundaries between reality and fiction. In his recent *Yōizu Genjō Mosha* series, Oshima creates paintings that appear to be reproductions of historical picture scrolls and documents that never actually existed, incorporating stains, creases, and signs of aging to lend fictional images a compelling sense of reality. At a time when the distinction between the real and the fabricated is increasingly blurred, his practice investigates new forms of reality that can emerge through the act of painting.
Naoya Oshima (b. 1995, Gifu, Japan) completed his PhD in Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2024. Through a process of cutting, rearranging, and translating photographs and existing visual imagery into painting, he explores the shifting boundaries between reality and fiction. In his recent *Yōizu Genjō Mosha* series, Oshima creates paintings that appear to be reproductions of historical picture scrolls and documents that never actually existed, incorporating stains, creases, and signs of aging to lend fictional images a compelling sense of reality. At a time when the distinction between the real and the fabricated is increasingly blurred, his practice investigates new forms of reality that can emerge through the act of painting.
Beniko Choji
Born in Omiya, Saitama Prefecture in 1991.
Graduated from the Department of Painting, Japanese Painting major, at Joshibi University of Art and Design. Member of the Contemporary Children’s Art Association.
Using the human figure as her primary motif, she depicts the subtle presence of emotions and memories that fluctuate within the human mind through Nihonga.
In addition to presenting solo exhibitions mainly at department stores and galleries across Japan, she has also developed a cross-disciplinary practice, including book cover design, music album artwork, stage visuals, and collaborations with fashion brands.
Born in Omiya, Saitama Prefecture in 1991.
Graduated from the Department of Painting, Japanese Painting major, at Joshibi University of Art and Design. Member of the Contemporary Children’s Art Association.
Using the human figure as her primary motif, she depicts the subtle presence of emotions and memories that fluctuate within the human mind through Nihonga.
In addition to presenting solo exhibitions mainly at department stores and galleries across Japan, she has also developed a cross-disciplinary practice, including book cover design, music album artwork, stage visuals, and collaborations with fashion brands.
Natsuko Yamazaki
Natsuko Yamazaki
Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts.
Her work explores intangible sensations and memories,
seeking to give form to what cannot be expressed in words.
Using alkyd resin and glitter,
she creates semi-relief surfaces that emphasize light and materiality,
shifting in appearance depending on the viewer’s perspective and environment.
Her works quietly evoke layers of emotion and memory.
Natsuko Yamazaki
Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts.
Her work explores intangible sensations and memories,
seeking to give form to what cannot be expressed in words.
Using alkyd resin and glitter,
she creates semi-relief surfaces that emphasize light and materiality,
shifting in appearance depending on the viewer’s perspective and environment.
Her works quietly evoke layers of emotion and memory.
