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"The Sun from Hiratsuka" by Akira Utsumi, 2003
(acrylic on canvas, 150 x 140 cm) |
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On side streets far from the fancy galleries of Ginza and Omotesando, the intrepid Tokyo art-seeker can find a host of small but creatively designed spaces showcasing talented artists who survive, poor but undaunted, below the art establishment's radar. Two such galleries are Chimenkanoya in Numabukuro and Musunso in Shimokitazawa, both neighborhoods a bit west of downtown. Both venues are worth a visit just to enjoy their unique and lovingly constructed ambiences, but they also feature consistently interesting artwork. And, they have bars on the premises!
Chimenkanoya is a modern, architectural award-winning house whose owner converted the entire second floor into a gallery and the basement into a café/bar with a soothing mix of Southeast Asian and traditional Japanese décor; a massive stone cistern smack in the middle of the floor provides a constant murmur of gently dripping water. Musunso until last year occupied an old, wooden two-story house which the gallery owners had lovingly restored with its original earthen walls intact. Unfortunately it was slated for demolition, and Musunso moved to a smaller, but more accessible, space on the second floor of a building in the bustling youth mecca of Shimokitazawa. Not only did the owners successfully recreate the country farmhouse style of the former gallery, but they went one better by adding a bar.
On a recent visit to Musunso I viewed a show by Akira Utsumi, a veteran of the Tokyo scene who has been painting distinctive works with acrylics, sumi ink, and watercolor since the 1980s. Although his work appears in galleries around Japan, he is not part of the mainstream art establishment, so it requires a bit of effort to track his shows down. Fortunately artists like Utsumi and venues like Musunso and Chimenkanoya enjoy a mutually supportive relationship in which the efforts of each enhance the other. A trip to one of these spots guarantees you the double pleasure of viewing art in a space that is a work of art in its own right.
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left: The stone cistern in the middle of the floor at Chimenkanoya
right: Akira Utsumi's exhibit at Musunso |
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