Our Thursday series features must-read books from each branch of the art bookshop NADiff. This week's book is "Ikeda Manabu The Pen." It's introduced by Gallery 5, a branch in Shinjuku, Tokyo (3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Opera City Tower, 3F).

■ "Ikeda Manabu The Pen"

This catalog is for the exhibition of the same name, which was held at the Saga Prefectural Museum of Art and has since traveled to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, among other venues. It's a collection of works that can be considered the culmination of Ikeda Manabu's 20-year career as an artist. It contains approximately 100 works, densely woven together by the accumulation of lines created with a pen tip less than 1mm in diameter. Of particular note is the inclusion of numerous enlarged sections of the works. The detailed depictions, which are difficult to fully appreciate even when viewed in person, are truly a feast for the eyes.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, which was a turning point for Ikeda, he spent three years in the United States exploring what he could do as an artist. His latest work, "Birth," is his largest to date, measuring 3m x 4m. In addition to social issues such as radiation and immigration, it also weaves together depictions of Ikeda Manabu's personal experiences. Painted with a prayer for recovery and his own rebirth, this work is sure to resonate with many people. We hope you will take a close look at the story of all things in the universe that lies hidden within the work.

[Book Information]
"Ikeda Manabu The Pen"
Publisher: Seigensha
Language: Japanese
Softcover / 168 pages / 298 x 294mm
Published: February 2017
Price: 3,700 yen