Yoichiro Otani Solo Exhibition "long spell of rain"

2026.04.10 Fri -04.23 Thu

Exhibition name
Yoichiro Otani Solo Exhibition: "long spell of rain"
Period
04 10, 2026(Fri) -04 23, 2026(Thu)
Venue
Venue: AND COLLECTION Contemporary Art, located on B2F of Omotesando Hills.

Reception Party:
Please join us for a reception party on Saturday, April 11, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
No reservation is necessary.
Artist
Yoichiro OTANI 

AND COLLECTION Contemporary Art is pleased to announce a solo exhibition by Yoichiro Otani, titled "long spell of rain".

 

This exhibition is an attempt to superimpose the chain hidden within characters onto the rhythm of all creation, through visual poetry using Kanji. Just as the single character in the exhibition title, "long spell of rain," arises from the combination of the elements "rain" and "forest," countless Kanji in the artworks are scattered like independent points, only to be reconnected by the viewer's gaze. Characters liberated from linear context are scattered in a two-dimensional space, and a new context emerges from the mesh where form, phonology, and meaning intersect.

 
 

Just as the East Asian art historian Ernest Fenollosa called Kanji "thought pictures," their brushstrokes contain the forms of nature. Even in typefaces reproduced in large quantities, the lines of the characters are connected to an eternal flow.
In "ki/u," rainfall is depicted around the core word "prayer for rain" from the syllables and serves as a starting point to diverge into a mountain landscape. Random placement using computers introduces contingency (engendering), and the luster and materiality of the paint lead to changes in distance.

 

Up close, each character forms a unique image; from a distance, the clusters of points form a whole like constellations. In an atmosphere that persists like a long rain, the viewer's gaze creates encounters, opening up a space where words and images resonate.

 

We invite you to experience the world of visual poetry created by Yoichiro Otani at the venue.

 

Yoichiro OTANIのポートレート
Yoichiro OTANI

Born in 1990 in Osaka, Japan. He completed his doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, and participated in an exchange program at Tsinghua University in Beijing during his studies.
His practice explores new relationships between characters through the creation of visual poetry using kanji. By engaging the subtle tension between seeing and reading, he seeks to reveal the latent possibilities embedded within language and imagery. As viewers shift their gaze, dispersed characters encounter one another, generating unexpected connections and moments of coincidence.
Moving beyond conventional frameworks of logical and sequential reading, his work invites a mode of simultaneous and direct perception, giving rise to a poetic space in which kanji resonate with one another.

Artworks

Skip to results list
  • ki #34

    ki #34

    Yoichiro OTANI

    ¥847,000 ~ ¥974,050

    canvas 、 mixed media

    size : 100 x 72.7 cm

Recently Viewed Products