Official
Along Ginza 4-chome Namiki-dori St.
Visit to Akane Gallery, established in 1965.
Appreciate paintings in a super-attached atmosphere!
The other day, I had the opportunity to meet Mayuko Uchida, Vice Chairman of the Tokyo Shiga Kenjinkai, at the event of "Koko Shiga" in Nihonbashi. Mr. Uchida is the manager of the Akane Gallery in Ginza, and asked, "Can I go to Akane Gallery next time?" Mr. Uchida is a multi-active ambassador who also promotes Oomi tea in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
"Take-chan" has no deep knowledge of art, and is almost a beginner level when it comes to painting. I know that there are many galleries in Ginza, but I don't have the courage to enter the gallery, and even if I go to the entrance, I hesitate to enter. Even as a beginner of art, it is strange that I step into "Akane Gallery". I was able to calm down and appreciate the paintings in a superat homey atmosphere.
Two-person exhibition Tomoko Yuki and Osamu Nakajima
Date: February 24 (Mon)-March 2 (Sun), 2025
The day of the interview is the last day of the exhibition. Tomoko Yuki and Osamu Nakajima, who are painting as couples, also came to Akane Gallery. Tomoko Yuki was drawn on the theme of "My favorite things", focusing on items that I love around me. Osamu Nakajima draws vegetation and life under the theme of "Familiar Everyday". It's been a long time since the exhibition of the couple together was heard, and I heard various stories.
I heard from Tomoko Yuki.
Yuki also draws a picture called a series of 100 animals. This is a series that draws Yuki-san's favorite animals, such as 100 cats, pandas and chameleons in one picture. My favorite creature is frogs. There is also a picture about snakes and frogs. In this picture, frogs that are usually eaten by snakes have become leaders.
Yuki says that watercolors are rarely arranged at exhibitions. This time, paintings depicting important figurines and collections were displayed. Yuki loves animal figurines and says, "I just buy a lot." There was also a picture about the music box of "Merry-go-round", but it seems that I liked it and bought it.
In addition, there is a real hippopopotamus painting. The popular "Momo" of Nagasaki Bio Park. I grew up in a fine hippotamus now, but the first artificial nursing in Japan. At first, it was called a "black that can't swim" because of the water, but it seems that it was a picture drawn by a documentary program that raised "cap that could not swim" alone.
Every picture was full of tenderness, and when I was looking at it, tears came out.
I heard from Osamu Nakajima.
Mr. Nakajima first explained the observation diary of plants. It is said that a record of daily plant growth was drawn every day at different times. Depending on the picture, the picture changes depending on the strength of the sun, the state of the shadow, and the weather. There are various flower pots, so there are many days when I draw three pieces and sometimes I do not write. The buds bloomed, turned into flowers, and could be seen from Mr. Nakajima's picture. Each picture is about the size of a postcard, but 108 pieces are stuck on a large piece of paper (220cm x 97cm) one by one.
There was also a work based on your own bookshelf. The spine of each book is written in very fine letters. This is a work where you can feel the hobby of books by Mr. Nakajima, who is also a reader.
There were also works based on the school entrance ceremony and athletic meet. It is said that the entrance ceremony picture is drawn in about 40 minutes from the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony. You have been drawing events at the same school for more than 10 years.
Nakajima's picture was a diary-like picture, with a diary-like picture and a diary drawn instead of letters, all of which were fun to see.
Fables of Paradise: Prayer-/ Tomoko Yuki
This work is a picture drawn by Yuki about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sunflower flowers are representative of Ukraine. People who are suffering and tanks are also depicted. It seems that the skeleton is the soul of the deceased. Earthly Branches is depicted in the picture, and each animal seems to have meaning. Mr. Yuki said, "Gather power and peace as soon as possible." It is a very large round picture (160 x 260 cm), but I heard that I concentrated on drawing in about two months with the goal of the exhibition.
Spring / Summer / Osamu Nakajima from a Sunflower Seeds
Observation diary of plants drawn by Mr. Nakajima. The picture seems to change depending on the strength of the sun, the state of the shadow, and the weather, so please take a look.
We asked Mayuko Uchida about the history of Akane Gallery.
Akane Gallery was established 60 years ago by Uchida's husband's father. "Initially, I was worried about whether to open the gallery on Ginza Chuo-dori or Namiki-dori St., and finally chose Namiki-dori St. If you were on Ginza Chuo-dori, the rent would be high and you may not have continued to this day. In that sense, Namiki-dori St.'s choice was the right answer." "In Ginza, financially generous husbands supported art, and many artists have grown up in that environment. My father-in-law also established the Akane Gallery because of his strong desire to support artists and culture, "said Uchida.
I heard that the districts where so many galleries gather are rare in Japan, and that Akane Gallery was the first to adopt the structure of a rental gallery in Ginza. There are many visitors to the gallery, such as those who paint, those who come every week, and the friends of the writer. Akane Gallery was able to miraculously avoid the rough waves of redevelopment. It is said that many galleries have left Ginza compared to peak times. I hope you will stay on Namiki-dori St. forever, supported by wonderful artists' works every week.
Access to Akane Gallery
Exhibition Schedule for April 2025
Access
Address: Tsukuba Building 2F, 3-14 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Access 1 minute walk from Tokyo Metro Ginza Station
Facebook： Akane Gallery
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[Exhibition Schedule for April 2025]
From March 31 (Mon) to April 6 (Sun)
SHIZSUN Solo Exhibition-Layer
From April 7 (Mon) to April 13 (Sun)
The 19th Bridge Exhibition for Tomorrow
[Planning: Ataru Nakano]
Yumiko Akimoto, Samurai Osafune Yume, Minoru Sasaki
Shizushin Matsuda, Kazuhide Yoneda, Kaoru Wakatani
From April 14 (Mon) to April 20 (Sun)
Toshihiko Isao Graduated from Kotobuki, New Works Exhibition
From April 21 (Mon) to April 27 (Sun)
Kensuke Aizawa solo exhibition -Ideal-
From April 28 (Mon) to May 4 (Sun)
Mariko Tezuka's solo exhibition "Blooming Flowers"