"Mountains and Rivers of Kasai and Sasaki," an exhibition showcasing works by designer Kaoru Kasai and poet Toshinobu Sasaki, will run simultaneously from January 9 to February 3, 2019, at the OFS Gallery in Shirokane, Tokyo, and from January 11 to 20, 2019, at Morioka Shoten in Ginza.


The two first met in 1997 at the "NHK Heart Exhibition," a poetry and art exhibition, when designer Kasai, inspired by Sasaki's poem "It's Early Summer," created an abstract cloud painting. From there, the two began to bond, working on illustrations for Sasaki's poetry collections and designing the CD jackets for his children's songs. Sasaki also tried his hand at pop music, and one of his lyrics, "Yume Mokkuro," caught the eye of a producer on NHK's Minna no Uta (Everybody's Songs) by chance, and was aired in February 2013 together with Kasai's video as "Nakibai Pierrot" (composed by Nakagawa Toshiro).

Four years later, Sasaki selected around 70 of his poems to date, and Kasai added 17 prints depicting the four seasons, resulting in a limited edition collection of poems and illustrations, "Ojitsu no Ki," published by ADP.


This time, Ginza Morioka Bookstore and Shirokane OFS Gallery will simultaneously exhibit "Ojitsu no Ki," a work born from an encounter between Kasai, who was born in Sapporo and raised in Muroran, and Sasaki, a man of the same generation who lives far away. This is a world of poetry and painting where memories of each artist's childhood and hometown intersect. Morioka Bookstore will exhibit original drawings and manuscripts, while OFS Gallery will exhibit posters, videos, and other works created by the two artists. Books, posters, and original drawings will also be on sale.

A talk show with Kasai will also be held. The event will be held at Morioka Bookstore from 7pm on January 12th with Ryosuke Uehara and Yoshie Watanabe of the creative unit KIGI, and at OFS Gallery from 7pm on January 31st with Morioka Bookstore owner Tsutomu Morioka. The participation fee for both events is 1,000 yen (tax included), with a capacity of 40 people. For details on how to apply, please check the OUR FAVOURITE SHOP website (http://ofs.tokyo/kasai-sasaki)!