UNKNOWN ASIA 2018

HAPPENINGText: Amelia Ijiri

In it’s 4th consecutive year, Unknown Asia continues to attract talented artists and visitors, over 6,000 this year, to Osaka Herbis Hall. On September 15th and 16th of this year, 212 young creators and artists from Asia (representing Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, Taiwan, and Malaysia) exhibited art in a variety of mediums, including digital, painting, collage, performance, installation, photography, video, and graphic design. Artworks vie for votes from judges and reviewers who work in creative industries or galleries. Winners receive assistance and support to get more exposure and publicity as an artist.

A third-time judge, Taketo Oguchi, chief editor of Shift Magazine, joined the preview as a judge. Among the exceptional talent at the fair, the following five artists received his vote.


HYMN © Unknown Asia Executive Committee

HYMN, the recipient of the SHIFT award, is a Chiba-born artist who works in water-based paint markers (Posca) and spray bottles on canvas, deconstructing famous masterpieces by Matisse, Cezanne, and more by adding black outlines with intuitive dripping paint. The expressive lines and colors used in her technique are meant to add an emotional element.


Keeenue © Unknown Asia Executive Committee

Keeenue merges digital and analogue using beautiful colors. Born in Kanagawa and with a background in graphic design, Keeenue worked as an assistant to Keiichi Tanaami whose creative influences are evident in her eye-popping colors, warped figures, and sprawling lines. With her attention-grabbing designs, her client list includes Nike, Shake Shack, ISETAN, Lipton, and TBS.


Noako Murata © Unknown Asia Executive Committee

Naoko Murata’s unrefined aesthetic in her monochrome collages is powerful. A graduate of Kyoto Seika University in Nihonga, her prominent whites overflowing on acrylic black paint create lively lyrical compositions where space is considered central to impact.


Ako Goto © Unknown Asia Executive Committee

Ako Goto’s acute sensibility to the arrangement of space and time are paired with technical achievement in sculptures that become actors in a motionless performance.
Experimenting with incorporating painting and theatre, her engrossing ceramic figures engage viewers by appearing to participate in dialogues.

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