10-11 Sat. – 10.26 Sun., 2025

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Joji Shimamoto.
Widely known as a photographer with a devoted following in skateboarding and mural culture, Shimamoto’s practice reveals many different facets. Among them, the element of travel serves as a vital axis—perhaps even the very foundation—of his artistic vision.
The true flavor of the “moments” he captures lies in their fleeting vibrancy: the pulse and allure of an instant that dazzles before quickly slipping away. On his journeys, chance and encounter converge around him as if guided by fate, crystallizing into dramatic fragments of everyday life.
The landscapes and scenes he has witnessed during his travels unfold with striking intensity inside the intimate white cube of Hatsudai. We warmly invite you to experience them.

I love traveling in search of worlds yet unseen.
In the Philippines, Vietnam, and India, the everyday life I encountered was unlike my own stimulating, and filled with new perspectives.
It might be a fleeting light, an unguarded expression, or a trace carved into the city. The camera acts as a guide to these “other sights,” leading us beyond the surface of the familiar.
This exhibition shares images captured in those travels and urban moments, inviting you to experience what it means to be guided without intention, yet led to another sight seen.
Within each fleeting moment lies an infinity of stories.
Perhaps one of them will add a subtle color, or spark a new awareness, within your own journey.

Joji Shimamoto

Artist

Joji SHimamoto

Studied photography in high school and graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Department of Photography, in 2007. Since then, he has organized and presented numerous photography exhibitions. His works evoke the atmosphere of a place and the passage of time, awakening the sensibilities of those who encounter them.

09-13 Sat. – 09.28 Sun., 2025

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to present “White Paradise”, a solo exhibition by Ayaka Nakagawa.
Drawing inspiration from the energy of ecosystems woven by living organisms, Nakagawa creates works that iconically depict motifs from nature using vibrant paints and embroidery. In addition to her artistic practice, she also provides illustrations for books and advertisements.
For this exhibition, she forgoes the use of fabric as a base material, instead employing white threads and ribbons to intricately express the delicate details of living ecosystems. These works are created using a freestyle machine embroidery technique, where forms emerge through the intertwining of threads. Through this act, she extracts the very elements of life—the way plants transport nutrients through their veins, and how living beings circulate life within their cells—resulting in a method that resonates with the artist as both delicate and powerfully life-affirming.
Bathed in sunlight, absorbing rainwater, drawing nourishment from the soil—plants grow alongside strangely shaped mushrooms peeking out from the fungal networks spreading deep underground. Each plant and creature is carefully formed and multiplied through the intertwining of threads, constructing a singular ecosystem: “White Paradise”. We invite you to immerse yourself in this world, as if stepping into a mysterious paradise of pure white.

Artist

Ayaka Nakagawa

Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from Tama Art University, Department of Design, specializing in Textile Design. Began working as an illustrator while still a student. After graduation, worked as a bag designer, lecturer at a design vocational school, product planner, and designer, while continuing creative activities as a freelance illustrator.

She primarily creates works using her original technique—painting on canvas fabric in place of paper with acrylic paints, and adding freehand machine embroidery in place of pen lines. Actively engaged in a variety of fields, including advertising, magazines, logos, and design projects.

Photo by Yojiro Kuroyanagi

08-09 Sat. – 08.31 Sun., 2025

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to announce Sachiko Miki’s solo exhibition, “Anyway the Wind Blows.”

Miki has long been drawn to the human form—not merely its outward appearance, but also the invisible realms intertwined with it: consciousness, memory, and experience.

Through her attentive observation, she explores the ways in which the visible and invisible aspects of humanity intersect. At times they harmonize as a unified presence; at other times, they reveal a gap between the physical body and the intangible essence it contains. Yet even those elements that appear distant at first glance often reveal deep, intrinsic connections beneath the surface.

In this exhibition, Miki presents a series of multifaceted sketches and works that consider the human form as part of the broader current of life. Incorporating new materials and perspectives, this body of work strongly resonates with the theme of “Flow” in the upcoming BIWAKO BIENNALE 2025, and serves as an ongoing inquiry into the human condition as it shifts through time.

Artist Profile

Sachiko Miki
Born in Gunma, Japan, in 1974. Completed postgraduate studies in sculpture at Tokyo Zokei University in 2001.

Selected solo exhibitions:

• Hoshi wo Maku Hito (Seed Sowers of the Stars), Gallery Tsubaki, Tokyo, 2024
• Overcoming, Gallery Tsubaki, Tokyo, 2022
• TWINS?, Gallery Tsubaki, Tokyo, 2020
• Boundary Zone, CASHI, Tokyo, 2017
• The Visitor, Transmission Gallery, California, 2017

Group exhibitions:

• Tamashima Collage, Yubikobo, Okayama, 2023
• BIWAKO BIENNALE 2022 – Origin, Omihachiman and Hikone, Shiga, 2022
• BIWAKO BIENNALE 2020 – Cosmic Dance, Omihachiman and Hikone, Shiga, 2020
• The 5th Japan-U.S. International Exchange Exhibition – Crosscurrent, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 2019

Residency programs:

• SECRET ROOMS, Finland, 2024
• Fresh Winds #6, Iceland, 2020

This exhibition is held as part of:
Pre BIWAKO BIENNALE 2025 × PAGIC Gallery

Organized by:
BIWAKO BIENNALE Executive Committee
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan / Japan Arts Council
PAGIC Gallery

12.07 Sat.—12.22 Sun., 2024
Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to present the “Dreams in Hibernation” exhibition by Hitoshi Kuroki, Riichiro Shinozaki, and Haruna Fukudome. This show invites you into the world of imagination through the works of three unique artists. Who dreams, what dreams, and where during the long winter? Please enjoy the limitless freedom of the mind that finds beauty even in silence and darkness.

Event
We will be serving some refreshments, including small snacks and warm beverages.

　12月17日（土）Opening Party　
　12月15日（日）Winter Party　
　12月22日（日）Closing Party
All dates 12pm-5pm *Closes at 7pm

Artists

Hitoshi Kuroki

Riichiro Shinozaki

Haruna Fukudome

11.01 Fri.—11.17 Sun., 2024

[Opening reception]
11.02 Sat. 2pm-7pm

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibition of Killa Was Here, “キラはここにいます Killa wa Koko ni ima su.” Killa, the young Portuguese artist strongly influenced by Japanese culture since childhood will come to Japan with his latest works, as the show entitled Japanese means ‘Killa IS Here.’

Born in 1997, he is an artist who expresses Generation Z’s friendly and sensitive sensibility. In the era of quality content shared anywhere in the world, he expresses with love and respect his European eye, which transcends borders and shares common memories and experiences with the people of Japan.

Above all, we hope you will enjoy the exhibition, which is alive with his cheerfulness, sincerity, and free spirit.

[Artist]
Killa Was Here

Killa is a Portuguese artist born in 1997 in the city of Porto. Killa Was Here is a direct reflection of the artist’s livings, focusing most of his work around themes such as love and death. Each painting tells a story about the artist, his personal life, or some external factor that has somehow touched and inspired the artist. In Killa’s artwork we can often find some of his iconic motifs such as the Killa smiley face, killa butterflies and the most recent “Killaz” teddy.

Despite the joyful and vivid colors present in the young artist’s work, which end up transmitting a happy and cheerful experience to the viewer, Killa’s art is often related to dark and twisted inspirations. The killa smile, which is immediately associated with happiness and the smiley face emoji, actually represents the unfortunate and common battle of today’s youth with anxiety and depression. At first look, the viewer is confronted with a contented expression, but the twisted smile accompanied by the tear on the left eye actually acts for a hidden sadness, as a metaphor for the characteristics of people battling depression, who on first view appear fine but are in reality dealing with inner and personal mental issues.

Instagram @killa.was.here

05.16 Thu.—05.19 Sun., 2024

PAGIC Gallery is excited to announce exhibiting in the first edition of Affordable Art Fair Austin, held from May 16 to May 19 in Austin, Texas, the U.S.!

We will introduce NekoshowguN, who continues to lead Japanese pop culture, Kurumi Kotani’s 21g series on the theme of presence, a group of works created through the relationship between Masaharu Shin and PAGIC Gallery, FRAGILE’s Balloon Cat, and Toetiee’s painting featuring bikes.

AAF’s mission is to democratize the art world and make art accessible to all. Each year, they welcome nearly 220,000 art enthusiasts to the fairs globally, where they can discover a mix of local, national, and international galleries showcasing a wide array of affordable artworks by established artists and rising stars.

Please do not hesitate to ask for an invitation to stop by.

Artists
NekoshowguN, Kurumi Kotani, Masaharu Shin, Fragile, Toetiee/Kyoko Takeshita

Opening Times

Thursday, May 16 
*Private View | 5pm – 9pm

Friday, May 17
General Admission | 12pm – 6pm
Panel Discussion | 1pm – 2pm
Panel Discussion | 4pm – 5pm
*Art After Dark | 6pm – 8pm

Saturday, May 18
*Family Hours | 10am – 1pm
General Admission | 10am – 7pm
Artist Is In Happy Hours | 4pm – 7pm
Printing Workshop | 5pm – 6pm

Sunday, May 19 
General Admission | 10am – 5pm
*Fair Director’s Tour | 12pm – 1pm
Printing Workshop | 1pm – 2pm
*Requires specific ticket or Private View / All-Access Pass

Venue
Palmer Events Center (900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704, United States)

Affordable Art Fair Austin
https://affordableartfair.com/fairs/austin/

03.30 Sat.—04.14 Sun., 2024

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of Miki Tomii, featuring the new works that remind us of the coming of spring.

Tomii uses clay and glass to create her works by playing with “temperature,” “time,” and “gravity.
They let us universally connect to the strength of nature and life and the profound serenity of the world.
She aims to express the intimacy of these different materials by diverting hand kneading, the traditional technique.
The two materials erode each other, and the boundary becomes blurred.
After firing, the pieces are buried in pure white talcum powder in the kiln, and the temperature is lowered over time.
It is a delicate and loving process, like digging out buds from a snowfield.

We will also introduce the new lineup of Tomii’s blown glass.

09.23 Sat.—10.09 Mon., 2023

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to announce the solo exhibition of Riichiro Shinozaki’s “Vessels of Twinkling Stars.”

Some stories are not to be told but read from.
One person’s back contains enormous memories, sometimes more eloquent than expressions.
Shinozaki aims to unravel them one by one, put them right, and search the stories from their bits of memories in this exhibition.
He likened the backs of the figures to “vessels.” He will depict how the circulating records of daily life have infinite possibilities and are connected to a larger circle.
When the repetition wavers. That is the beginning of creation.

09.02 Sat.—09.18 Mon., 2023

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to present the PAINTER CAT Exhibition by Takuya.

PAINTER CAT, an art brand with the iconic cat character “REXY,” was born just before 2022. Since then, PAINTER CAT has been releasing paintings without a pause.

Cool, cute, and beautiful, REXY has always kept a “REXY-like” personality on canvas and is a fixed symbol.
In contrast, the background’s bright, varied, and fluid colors complement this simple character with white fur.
This contrast between “fixed” and “fluid” is what makes up the image of the PAINTER CAT.

The images include shots of REXY as a model, colorful silhouettes, and REXY in a deformed form, all with an awareness of the “contrast.”
Please enjoy the world of PAINTER CAT.

08.05 Sat.—08.20 Sun., 2023

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to present Masaharu Shin’s third solo exhibition, “The Practices of Humanity and Relationships.”

Through the first exhibition, Shin started creating a series of artworks as a device to evoke certain emotions. The following year, he evolved the series by adding elements derived from his relationships.

Shin says that his works are also “a way of having conversations with people who like contemporary art,” always arranges readable quotations, does not hide the links with the secular world, and deliberately weaves in the social nature of art.

This exhibition presents his thoughts and current position regarding human beings and relationships.
Please come and enjoy the show.

• Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays

08-03 Thu. — 08-28 Mon., 2023

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to present “Reflective Save Points,” a solo exhibition by Hanako Kimura in the lounge of THE BOLY OSAKA, 6th floor.

The exhibition will display several series by Kimura in the same space.
In addition to her iconic series “SIGNS FOR [ ],” Kimura will release “SIGN FOR [Summer, 2022],” which has red neon light in the night sky instead of blue neon light in the clear sky, and “My Brand New Shit,” a series of new works that express Kimura’s identity as a contemporary artist.

Many of Kimura’s works have a glossy texture. The surface of acrylic and chrome reflects its surroundings like a mirror, allowing the pieces to interact with each other.
Furthermore, by taking the viewer to the surface, Kimura invites the viewer into a gray zone of “looking/being looked at.”

Venue

THE BOLY OSAKA 6F lounge (1-16, Kitahama2, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka 541-0041)

• You can take the elevator to the 6th floor and see the exhibition in the lounge.
• Guests are staying at the hotel. We kindly ask for your consideration, especially during the nighttime.
• For inquiries about the exhibition, don’t hesitate to contact PAGIC Gallery. The hotel front desk is unable to assist with that.

7-28 Fri. — 07-31 Mon., 2023

Hanako Kimura / Masaharu Shin / kinwin / Chen Jing-hyung / nelku

PAGIC Gallery is pleased to present the group show “SUILO” in Kitahama, Osaka.
Four artists with roots in Japan and abroad, including Taiwan, will gather in Kitahama, Osaka.

SUILO—waterways were urban arteries that transported goods and connected people.
Even after industrialization, which gradually handed over this role to subsequent technologies, waterways have shown us that they are indeed connected, transcending the boundaries between towns and cities, countries and nations, and mountains and oceans.
Even today, when information is transmitted by cable, nostalgic waterways still have the power to draw people to them, giving us an intuitive sense of openness and joy.

SUILO presents artworks with limitless power, like waterways that can float even the heaviest of materials and reach the farthest places.

Artists

HANAKO KIMURA

Born in Kyoto, currently lives in Osaka.
Graduated from Doshisha University, Department of Aesthetics and Art Theory, Faculty of Letters.

Kimura focuses on touching the gray zone that lies between the two extremes of “existence/non-existence” and “different/same.” She develops conceptual works that incorporate a sense of the times.

In recent years, she has not limited herself to photography. Still, she has also been involved in three-dimensional works and installations.

Instagram

Masaharu Shin

Born in 1996 in Osaka, Japan
Completed with M.A. at the Kyoto University of the Arts Graduate School in 2021

Shin explores the significance of art in society.
He is motivated by a genuine interest in what changes have occurred up to the present day and how artists have evolved their thinking and　expression. This intuitive and　improvisational work is built on a foundation of rational thought that assembles facts.

Instagram

kinwin

Born in 1982 in Taipei, Taiwan.
Graduated from Fu-Hsin Trade & Arts School in 2001
Graduated from Design and Arts, Dayeh University in 2005

In today’s society, speed is needed to satisfy various needs, and there is a sense of urgency about people, things, and events. Kinwin believes that by slowing down, searching deep into our hearts, and questioning our fundamental selves, we can make everything meaningful because people have the desired happiness.

Although all of this may seem at odds with each other, the concept of “sacrifice” that lies within and beyond the concepts of right and wrong gives the viewer dreams and hopes, expressing blessings in a unique and fantastical worldview.

Instagram

Chen Jingheng

Born in 1996 in Taiwan
Graduated from Hsing Wu University

Something cultivated through the interaction between Taiwanese pop culture and temple culture has taken shape one after another in the creation of the “Happy Birds Days” series.
The concepts of the series are “Creation,” “Positivity,” “Cooperation,” and “Lovely.”
By drawing artworks from museums and galleries and collaborating with his worldview and various life scenes, he energetically creates artworks that can “make everyone even happier.”

Instagram

*A show by Eunoia will be held at the same venue. Please enjoy it as well.

nelku

Graduated from Bunka Fashion College in 2018

Nelku changes her residence every month and travels around the world.
Nelku creates focusing on illustration and animation.

The emotions and memories of people resonate with her and inspire her artwork.

Inspired by empathy for people’s feelings and memories, the series “Memories” is based on photographs of memories and episodes, and the paintings are interspersed with unrealistic motifs associated with them.
The works are somehow nostalgic, even though they are not his own memories.

Instagram

See Also

AFFORDANCE
by Eunoia

Instagram

Date & Time

7-28 Fri. — 07-31 Mon., 2023
11:00–19:00 (Last day until 4:00 p.m.)

Venue

KITAHAMA N GALLERY
(The basement of THE BOLY OSAKA, 1-16, Kitahama 1, Osaka City)