Custom painter Masataka Kurashina's first solo exhibition, "The Light and Path of New Custom Painting," is being held at three locations in Tokyo: CUPSULE, TAMBOURIN GALLERY, and Isetan Shinjuku.
Each venue has its own theme: CUPSULE, which has an attached cafe, features highly artistic works to suit its spacious space; Tambourin Gallery displays works that blend the past and present; and Isetan Shinjuku displays works with a sales-oriented commercial space.
Two "Venus de Milo" works have been created for this exhibition. Tambourin Gallery displays a full-length mural, while CUPSULE displays a painted stone statue.
Past works on display at Tambourin Gallery include a helmet made for Yasuhiro Yanagihara, a top MBT downhill rider who inspired him to start custom painting, in the year he retired, and bowling pins painted with the 12 zodiac signs. Art pieces created in collaboration with Groovisions are displayed in a capsule. Various custom-painted works, using everyday mass-produced items like buckets, shovels, and sofas as canvases, are also on display at each venue. This marks Kurashina's first solo exhibition in 20 years of activity. "Every day has been busy, fun, and I've worked incredibly hard. I was so satisfied with each and every piece that I created that I never felt the desire to gather my work together for a solo exhibition," he reflects. "Customizing a flat surface (walls) is more difficult than customizing a three-dimensional object. Through my work in the architectural industry, I've gotten a grasp on how to customize flat surfaces (walls), so I decided to hold a solo exhibition to mark a turning point. Rather than concentrating my work in a large venue, I wanted to change the theme, so I decided to hold a solo exhibition at three locations this time." After working as a freelance illustrator, Kurashina began his career as a custom painter, painting MTB racer helmets in 1993. Since then, he has avoided painting cars and motorcycles, instead creating numerous collaborative works with other creators. He has been painting Tomoyasu Hotei's guitars for over a decade, and in 2005 he participated in the Dress Camp collection, designed by Toshikazu Iwatani. He has also created contemporary art pieces, such as painting the Snoopy statue at the "Snoopy Life Design" exhibition.

He is also trusted by interior designers Yasumichi Morita and Masamichi Katayama, and is active in the architecture industry, creating interior and exterior artwork for Francfranc (Aoyama, Nagoya, Shanghai, Fukuoka), Megu MIDTOWN (New York), and STaiR (Aoyama).
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【Event Information】
Masataka Kurashina "Light and Path of New Custom Painting"
Capsule
Address: 1st basement floor, 2-7-12 Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: Until June 16th
Time: 12:00 to 19:00 (Saturdays and Sundays only)
Tambourine Gallery
Address: 2-3-24 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: Until May 26th
Time: 11:00 to 19:00 (Until 18:00 on the last day)
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Isetan Shinjuku Store, 2nd floor Global Closet/Art Gallery
Address: 3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Dates: Until May 28th
Time: 10:30 to 20:00