Our Thursday series features must-read books from each branch of the art bookshop NADiff. This week, we feature Naoki Sato's "Unexplored Tokyo, Growing There." This book is featured by our Shibuya branch, NADiff modern (Bunkamura, 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo). "Unexplored Tokyo, Growing There" by Naoki Sato

Naoki Sato has been active as an art director and designer for many years. He began painting around 2010 or 2011, just before the Great East Japan Earthquake. This book is both a catalog and a collection of his solo exhibition at 3331 Arts Chiyoda, held from April 30 to June 11, 2017. At the exhibition, plants, drawn entirely with charcoal on plywood boards the size of a single tatami mat, were exhibited across a 150-meter wall. The plants, painted without end, have an eerie presence. His powerful brushstrokes seem to fully express the vitality of the plants, yet his straightforward approach also inspires a sense of unease. Plants that seem familiar, like roadside trees or weeds, suddenly change color and approach us, creating a sense of "hidden Tokyo." Also not to be missed are conversations with Maha Harada, author of the newspaper serial "Reach Sensei," for which Sato provided illustrations, and Naohiro Ukawa, as well as essays by Toh Enjoe and Tsutomu Mizusawa. Sato's paintings defy classification and exude a unique individuality that defies academic context. The term "contemporary fantastical artist" naturally springs to mind when viewing his work. Currently, Bunkamura The Museum is hosting the exhibition "The Lineage of Belgian Fantasy." While Sato is a Japanese fantastical artist, this exhibition also features works by Western fantastical artists. We hope you will also see this exhibition, which traces 500 years of Belgian "fantasy" through not only paintings but also prints and sculptures.
【Book Information】
"Unexplored Tokyo, Growing There"
Author: Naoki Sato
Publisher: Tokyo Kirara Publishing
Softcover / 159 pages / B5 variable
Language: Japanese
Published: May 2017
Price: 3,800 yen

【Exhibition Information】
"The Genealogy of Belgian Fantasy: From Bosch to Magritte and Jan Fabre"
Venue: Bunkamura The Museum
Address: B1F, 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: July 15th - September 24th *Closed July 18th and August 22nd
Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Admission fees: Adults 1,500 yen (1,300 yen), university and high school students 1,000 yen (800 yen), junior high and elementary school students 700 yen (500 yen) *Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more and advance tickets. *Discounts available for those with a disability certificate. Ask at the counter for details.