Opening Reception:
Wednesday, September 9
6:00pm–8:00pm
*The artist will be present

Akio Nagasawa Gallery Ginza is pleased to present “A Light That Never Goes Out,” a solo exhibition by TORAJIRO.

TORAJIRO is an artist based in Tokyo. After graduating from the Department of Japanese Painting, College of Art and Design, Musashino Art University, he studied in New York. Upon returning to Japan, he continued to create digital works, as well as paintings in oil and acrylic, while working as a graphic designer. He has since continued to actively present his work.

For this exhibition, TORAJIRO will present his latest works, newly created especially for the exhibition.

The title “A Light That Never Goes Out” refers to a small light that remains even amid the anxiety and uncertainty of contemporary life. In his practice, the artist turns his attention to the faint lights found in the everyday: small moments that arise in the course of daily life, connections with others, and time spent with a partner or with animals.

The men depicted in this exhibition possess strong, muscular bodies, yet their expressions and presence reveal the delicate emotions they carry within. As the artist explains, “The delicate feelings that overflow from within cannot be hidden. Their expressions, never quite smiling, tell many different stories.”

We invite you to experience these works, which turn their gaze toward the quiet hopes and faint lights within us as we navigate difficult times.

The gallery will also offer a new ZINE created especially for the exhibition, along with original merchandise.

Artist's Statement
In 2026, the world has changed.

War, a man-made disaster. An unstable global situation. An uncertain economy. A growing distrust of politics. And countless unpredictable natural disasters.
There is no longer any guarantee that our everyday lives will continue as they have before.

Japan remains governed by the vestiges of a patriarchal system and a homosocial order, while the rights of sexual minorities continue to be neglected.

The men in my paintings live in this “present.”

The light in “A Light That Never Goes Out” is a faint glimmer that never goes out, even in the darkness of anxiety.

In the midst of busy days, a brief conversation or exchange of messages with someone.
Feeling the warmth of a partner’s skin, or spending time with animals.
Looking at a painting displayed at home and immersing oneself in its world.
The quiet assurance that morning will come again tomorrow.

In this exhibition, I paint these faint lights.
A quiet hope for all of us living through difficult times.
– TORAJIRO