EXHIBI­TIONS

KEIJI ITO

Keiji Ito, who turns 90 this year, continues to produce work across a wide array of genres, from ceramics and oil painting to watercolor and textile collages. After graduating from Musashino Art School (the current Musashino Art University) in 1958, he encountered the ceramic designer Sakuzo Hineno at the Gifu Prefectural Ceramics Research Institute. This meeting marked the beginning of his serious engagement with ceramics. Since then he has moved fluidly from making ceramic forms to sculptural objects and beyond. Throughout, his work has been driven by a sincere vision of the human spirit, daily life, and society. Ito, who is still based in his hometown of Toki in Gifu Prefecture, has long served as an inspiration for younger artists. Earlier this year he was celebrated in a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, “Keiji Ito: Prayer—Now, the Future.” This exhibition will feature a selection of new and recent works.

TOMIO KOYAMA GALLERY

Tomio Koyama Gallery was founded in Tokyo’s Sagacho district in 1996 and has since established itself as a cornerstone of Japan’s contemporary art scene. Dedicated to introducing new perspectives to the art market, the gallery represents a diverse, multigenerational roster of Japanese and international artists, including Kishio Suga, Mika Ninagawa, Hiroshi Sugito, and Richard Tuttle, and also features contemporary ceramics in its program. From the start Tomio Koyama Gallery has maintained an active presence at international art fairs. The gallery has locations in Roppongi, Tennozu, and Kyobashi in Tokyo and a branch in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture.