YumeUtsutsu

From March 7 (Fri) to March 21 (Fri), 2025, the exhibition "YumeUtsutsu" by Japanese contemporary artist Shinichi Kaneko will be held at UltraSuperNew "Kura," an alternative space within an office in Shibuya, Tokyo.

UltraSuperNew, a creative agency that also operates an art gallery in Harajuku, has newly reopened "Kura" on the rooftop of its office building at the end of 2024. Following three previous exhibitions, the fourth installment will feature the works of Shinichi Kaneko.

Shinichi Kaneko is an artist whose work explores the theme of "relationships"—often drawing inspiration from the hands and feet depicted in shunga (Japanese erotic art). By focusing on the entanglement of hands and feet, he visualizes the complexity of relationships through sculpture, painting, and drawing. In this exhibition, Kaneko delves into "YumeUtsutsu"—the blurred boundary between dreams and reality—using shunga as a lens to uncover the hidden connections within everyday life.

Additionally, an opening reception will be held on March 7 (Fri) from 19:00 to 21:00.

Statement

"YumeUtsutsu" is an old Japanese term referring to moments when the boundary between dreams and reality becomes indistinct. To me, it represents a realm where form and formlessness, consciousness and the unconscious intersect—an expressive space that explores the relationship between perception and reality.

In my work, I use the intertwined hands and feet depicted in shunga as a motif to explore the "relationships" that shape our world. These "relationships" go beyond human connections, encompassing the interactions and interdependencies between people, objects, and phenomena. The hands and feet in shunga serve as a metaphor for these invisible yet fundamental ties.

Our reality is woven from both chance and inevitability, the real and the imagined. Through the lens of YumeUtsutsu, I hope to offer a renewed awareness of the hidden "relationships" embedded in our daily lives.