Red Elation Gallery is delighted to present Parallel Waves, a group exhibition by four emerging Japanese artists- Akira KAMO, Tohru MATSUSHITA, Teppei MIYAKE and Shuji YAMAMOTO. This is part of our continuing exhibition series, New Currents, focused on emerging contemporary artists from around the world.

More than a year after 311, earthquakes still affect Japan - not only “physically”, but also through the changed values and philosophy of life of many Japanese citizens. This group of Japanese young artists expresses their intimate feelings towards life, living space and the uncertainty of the future in this exhibition of paintings and installation works. The topics surround the environment, nature and origins. They show their passion for life by creating art and pose a question to viewers – what do viewers think about original Japanese art and the landscape of Japan as part of the identity of the Japanese?

“Japan began to change a little by little from last year. People were forced to ask "what should I think about the future", “what will the future be”? These are the fundamental questions of human beings – “Where Do We Come From? Where Are We Going? Where are Asians going?” says Ms. Sakie TAKASU, guest-curator of the exhibition.

Artist Biography

Akira KAMO was born in Tokyo in 1982. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Oil Painting Department, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2008 and School of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2012. Akira had his first solo exhibition, “Painting and Survival”, at island MEDIUM, Tokyo in 2012. His works have been showcased in various group exhibitions in Japan, such as "νromancer" and "Power of a Painting", 3331Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo in 2011; "TURNER Loves FRESH", TURNER Gallery, Tokyo; "RAKU RAKU FESTIVAL", GALLERY RAKU, Kyoto; "Miyuki Akiyamma x CONCEPT JEWELRY WORKS", CONCEPT JEWELRY WORKS, Tokyo in 2010.

Tohru MATSUSHITA was born in Kanagawa, Japan in 1984. He spent his teenage years in the United States. He completed the Master Course in Inter Media Art at Tokyo National University of Arts in 2010. He participated in the Koshiki Art Project and won the Shigeo Goto Award. Matsushita’s paintings have been widely exhibited around Japan and Hong Kong: solo exhibition - “Abstracted and Abandoned” island MEDIUM, Tokyo, in 2012; “One Million Years”, Red Elation Gallery, Hong Kong and “Kelen”, island MEDIUM, Tokyo, in 2011; and selected group exhibitions - "ART is AHO!", Fuji Television, and "ART FAIR TOKYO 2012", Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, in 2012; “Welcome Art Office” and “TOKYO ART FRONT” in 2011. He currently lives and works in Tokyo.

Teppei MIYAKE was born in 1985 in Hyougo, Japan. He studied Japanese painting at Tokyo Art University and mainly works on paintings. His creative focus is a rethink of Japanese culture, tourism and structure of society. His works involve ideas to solve current environmental issues and also about values in Japan after the war. His works are more than a painting; they are a kind of architecture. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions, such as “One mere assumption” G671gallery, Tokyo in 2011.

Shuji YAMAMOTO was born in Tokyo in 1979. He graduated from Tama Art University, oil painting division, in 2005. He has participated in Saari Residence, Finland in 2011. Shuji has had solo exhibitions in 2011 at Aomori, Japan, titled “Story of Forest”, Towada Town Gallery; "SHOKEI I" Radi-um Roentgenwerke AG, Tokyo, in 2009; "PINES" PH gallery, New York and "Pines from lammfromm" lammfromm, Tokyo, in 2007. He has also taken part in joint exhibitions in Japan: "NEXT - TWS 10 years!" TWS Shibuya, Tokyo and "GOOD NIGHT MIHOKANNO", 3331Arts Chiyoda/Akibatamabi 21, Tokyo, in 2011; "The Way from Home to the Museum: Collection of Tsuneko Tanaka", Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama, in 2009. His works have been collected by Towada Art Center, Aomori.