Akio Nagasawa Gallery Ginza is pleased to present Somewhere about here, a solo exhibition by Yoko Kawamoto.

Although Akio Nagasawa Gallery has previously introduced Kawamoto's work through group exhibitions and art fairs, this marks her first solo exhibition with the gallery.

Born in Oita Prefecture, Kawamoto began painting in oils as a self-taught artist in the late 1990s. In 1999, she received the Excellence Award in The Choice, a competition organized by illustration magazine (Genkosha). In addition to exhibiting her work in Japan and abroad, she has published artist's books and created artwork for CD jackets. Rather than seeking out extraordinary places, Kawamoto has continued to explore the act of painting itself by engaging with the quiet, everyday landscapes that surround her.

This exhibition features a selection of works, including previously unpublished new paintings. As suggested by the exhibition title, Somewhere about here, the works evoke landscapes that exist somewhere beyond a specific place while at the same time feeling intimately connected to "here." We warmly invite you to visit the exhibition.

Artist's Statement

When I first began painting landscapes, I chose subjects that were close at hand—things that attracted no one's attention, or things that were never meant to be looked at.

By deliberately painting such subjects, I wanted to avoid making conventional landscape paintings. At the same time, I believed that by depicting things without any particular meaning, viewers might be drawn to the painting itself.

As I continued painting, I often imagined traveling across Japan or abroad in search of places to photograph. Yet, even after nearly thirty years, I still find myself wandering around my own neighborhood, never having gone anywhere, and I can't help but laugh at myself.

But perhaps, wherever I had gone, I would have ended up looking for the same kinds of places.

– Yoko Kawamoto