誰が袖を見遣る

Whose sleeves do we gaze upon

FOAM CONTEMPORARY

2026

Organized by: GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS

Cooperation: Mitochu Koeki

Photo by : MIYAJIMA Kei

Overview

Ai Kumehara completed her MFA in Japanese Painting at Tama Art University in 2015. After undertaking residencies both in Japan and abroad, she is currently based in Nagano. Her practice is characterized by a technique that combines traditional Nihonga methods with her own sensibility: she first paints an underlayer using highly translucent pigments, then overlays multiple sheets of washi paper, and finally applies mineral pigments. The resulting layered surfaces evoke a sense of light and atmosphere, giving rise to images with a quiet depth. Kumehara has consistently drawn on sites such as gardens, nature reserves, and satoyama landscapes—environments shaped by human intervention—as sources for her work. Her practice explores the “ambiguous boundaries” inherent in the natural world. Elements such as inside and outside, the artificial and the natural, foreground and background do not appear as clearly separated, but rather emerge within continuous relationships.The title of this exhibition, Tagasode o Miyaru (“Whose sleeves do we gaze upon”), is based on a poetic tradition in which the fragrance of plum blossoms evokes the presence of a person. Even when the figure is unseen, the lingering scent signifies that someone once existed there. Similarly, the plum paintings in this exhibition are created by layering washi paper to sink the forms into depth, allowing their presence to emerge as a faint indication through a mist-like translucency.The term miyaru (“to gaze into the distance”) implies directing one’s awareness beyond what is immediately visible. When traces of presence are perceived in the depicted branches and in the quiet presence of the craft works installed in the space, viewers are guided toward a sensory experience that extends beyond vision.In this exhibition, Kumehara’s paintings are positioned as “borrowed scenery” within the space, and are presented alongside outstanding craft works. Through this arrangement, the gallery is conceived as a single, unified landscape. Within the relationships formed between painting and craft, the space itself emerges as an organic whole.


Artist Statement

In this exhibition, plum paintings are positioned as a “borrowed landscape,” while craft works are placed within the same space, creating an attempt to incorporate the entire gallery into a single scene. Here, painting is not treated as a “closed surface,” but functions as an “open window” that generates spatial depth. The craft works placed alongside the paintings serve to extend the space suggested behind the pictorial surface into the actual three-dimensional space. As a result, the fictional space within the painting and the real space occupied by the viewer become continuous, bringing a sense of depth to the otherwise neutral white cube.At the same time, the dispersed craft works create invisible divisions between themselves and the viewer, producing an appropriate sense of distance. This spatial composition naturally regulates the viewer’s movement, encouraging a more focused engagement and transforming the space from one of mere visual consumption into a place of embodied experience.In contrast to the diverse materials and techniques of the craft works, my paintings consistently use mineral pigments and focus on the motif of plum blossoms. I have long been inspired by the philosophical ideas embedded in the human act of cultivating a “garden.” In this exhibition, I adopt this concept as the central axis, aiming to connect individual works organically into a single ecosystem rather than presenting them as isolated points.The craft works installed here do not function merely as partitions. Like stones in a garden that change their appearance when wet with rain, they respond to the colors and light of the paintings behind them, bringing vitality to the space.While I have previously presented work centered on painting, I have long hoped to construct an environment together with craft works that evokes the sensation of walking outdoors while remaining within a gallery. However, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to exhibit alongside such outstanding craft works. This exhibition could not have been realized through my efforts alone. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to making this exhibition possible.