YU KAWASHIMA

This exhibition centers on new works exploring the theme of humanity’s fundamental strength to confront and overcome the “anxieties” present in contemporary society. Drawing on his own experience of spending his childhood in a nature-rich environment and later transitioning to an information and technology-saturated urban life, Kawashima has channeled his sense of alienation toward artificial worlds and the unsettling mood of the times into his work.

Amid the shadows cast on our lives by recent realities—such as the pandemic that began in 2019 and the growing tensions and divisions around the world—Kawashima has continued to reexamine himself and his surroundings through the act of painting, seeking ways to live in contemporary society.

The exhibition title, “Reflection,” carries a dual meaning: “reflection” as both mirror image and introspection. It embodies a visual and emotional process in which feelings and memories bend, refract, and shift, taking on new shapes and colors depending on the viewer’s perspective. Just as light reflects off a multifaceted surface to reveal new scenes in space, it suggests that within our own anxieties and confusion lie hidden possibilities for new meanings and renewed awareness.

Through Kawashima’s latest works, this exhibition presents symbols of the “will to live”—forms that sprout even in the midst of anxiety.

We hope this exhibition will offer visitors an opportunity to contemplate both the possibilities of contemporary visual expression and the vital forces that dwell within the human spirit.

We warmly look forward to welcoming you to the gallery.