Reo Kikuchi, Ayame Higuchi, Yuki Matsuoka

English below

We are pleased to announce “SHIFT,” a three-person exhibition featuring emerging artists Reo Kikuchi, Ayame Higuchi, and Yuki Matsuoka, to be held at ART GALLERY on the 10th floor of Daimaru Tokyo. The word “SHIFT” carries meanings such as “to change” or “to move from one side to another.” Each artist in this exhibition explores a form of transformation—of vision, of perception, and of their own artistic journey. Reo Kikuchi creates works that reexamine the very act of “seeing” by cutting out and reconstructing historical pictorial imagery. His paintings prompt viewers to recognize the structures and meanings that lie behind what is visible, shifting the visual experience into a new dimension. Ayame Higuchi bases her work on the materials and compositional principles of traditional Japanese painting, while incorporating digital elements such as mosaics and noise to express the ambiguous remnants of form. Through this approach, she explores new possibilities in contemporary painting. Yuki Matsuoka underwent surgery on his dominant arm following an accident and illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. While hospitalized—confronted with the fear of temporarily losing the ability to draw—he observed clouds forming and dissipating outside his window and sensed a world “without beginnings or endings.” Using the hand he could move, he began creating pointillist works, awakening to a new form of expression. Each of these artists confronts the act of creation as a way of living, undergoing their own transformations while compelling viewers to reflect on the presence of change. At the same time, these shifts may also heighten our awareness of what remains constant and universal. As we stand at the threshold between 2025 and 2026, we invite you to experience the “SHIFT”—the transformations these artists are engaging with—through their works in the gallery.