Japan Tide and Leyden Gallery would like to invite you to two one-week exhibitions.

The exhibitions, which focus on the beauty of Japanese artworks by mature Japanese artists, will be held in East London, a centre of contemporary arts. The first week will feature an oil painting artist based in Nara (West of Japan), who depicts mysterious beauties on canvases, and the second week will focus on a photographer known for his distinctive vision and his unique way of capturing the details of objects and lighting.

Please don’t miss this rare chance of seeing these unique artworks!

Jun Nisizaki
Tuesday 10 September - Saturday 14 September
*Private view: 6.30 - 9.30pm, Tuesday 10 September
Please register from below
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jun-nishizaki-japan-tide-exhibition-tickets-69974296003

Hirofumi Kawamura
Tuesday 17 September - Saturday 21 September
*Private view: 6.30 - 9.30pm, Tuesday 17 September
Please register from below
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hirofumi-kawamura-japan-tide-exhibition-tickets-70454893483

Venue: Leyden Gallery
Address: 9/9a Leyden Street London E1 7LE
TEL: 020 7655 4825
Web site: http://leydengallery.com/

Jun Nishizaki
A resident of Nara Prefecture, NISHIZAKI has created several portraits which have a mysteriously unique beauty that has earned him numerous fans both at home and abroad. Attracting the attention of many, his style is said to that of “a painter who depicts the deepest depths of the human heart like Egon SCHIELE, who played an active role in Vienna at the end of the century”. 2015 saw the publishing of “Jun NISHIZAKI Portfolio -Angels-“. He has held several personal exhibitions including those at The Ueno Royal Museum (Tokyo) in 2016 and the Galerie Lehalle (Paris) in 2017.

-The Truth of Life Reflected in the Eyes -
Through the depiction of the rawness of his own life, Jun NISHIZAKI is a painter who communicates his unique attitude towards life to all who view his works. In every person he draws whether it be the Virgin Mary, an angel or a little girl, there is a uniquely unearthly atmosphere that serves as a counterpoint to their beauty, producing an eye-catching world of danger that quietly impacts the hearts of viewers. NISHIZAKI does not seek the pleasure of cheap beauty from a picture, but continues to pursue the raw truth by thoroughly maintaining a posture to depict that which lies deep within the human heart. Art critic and French literary scholar Takao NAKAMURA (professor at the Tama University of Arts) has this to say about NISHIZAKI: ”There is a loftiness to the works of NISHIZAKI. That is because he demands the pure density of raw life even as he suffers as an artist. That is why no matter what he draws, it will always be a self-portrait of Jun NISHIZAKI’s soul.” The almost dangerous innocent sensitivity that is hidden behind the mysterious beauty will immediately attract the eyes of most viewers and speak deeply and directly into each heart. Captivated by the unearthly atmosphere of NISHIZAKI’s works, people will be reminded of the real intention of beauty in art. We hope that you will enjoy the almost cruel but beautiful and noble world of art as depicted by Jun NISHIZAKI.

Hirofumi Kawamura
Born 1961 in Tokushima Prefecture. Influenced by his father and aunt, KAWAMURA took an interest in photography as a preschool child. In the fourth grade, he saved up money to get his first camera. That small camera served as a starting point for his career as a photographer, and from the age of 20, KAWAMURA's career began, and he expanded his activities both in Japan and overseas, presenting solo shows and displaying pieces in exhibitions. Initially, KAWAMURA worked to deepen his own perspective, while focusing on the simple styles of natural beauty. As seen in works from around 2000 onwards, such as Fairy of the Forest (2000), Light of God (2002), and The Essence of Life (2007), KAWAMURA began adding written text to express metaphors about vitality and mystical existence. This approach was also used in later series such as the Planet of Letters (2014) (based on Japanese origami motifs) and the Cranes of Peace (2015-2016) series, and KAWAMURA’s works developed to feature a strong message. Of particular note, KAWAMURA’s piece Origami Universe (2015) became a topic of discussion at Expo Milano 2015, and the following year a solo show was held in Paris. The Japanese ambassador to France visited the exhibition, and upon seeing the works, showed great interest in how the pieces displayed an important link between Japanese and French culture. In recent years, KAWAMURA has been working on new approaches, such as with the Empty Can & Sunflower (2017) series, constantly experimenting with expressions that praise life and pray for peace.

- Eyes of seeking Peace -
Hirofumi KAWAMURA pursues his own unique method of photographic expression by making full use of light dynamics. His eye gleams from deep within the lens to capture the minute spark of a small life such as a bud sprouting in a bottle or the cast-off shell of a cicada. All of these are caught to practically create a fertile image that defines the moment of our planet's birth. A prayer for peace, universal expression, the surprising image of Japan's nature--KAWAMURA's photographs go beyond their limits to vividly convey the breath of life and various emotions. On the other hand, his photographic works take advantage of composition making full use of blank space (suggestiveness) and Japanese-style sensitivity such as beautiful silhouettes that call to mind ink-wash paintings. His works have received high praise from abroad, including New York and Paris. For this exhibition, he will be introducing two new works for his Empty Can & Sunflower series based on the September 11, 2001 coordinated terrorist attacks in the United States. Focusing on the Cranes of Peace series, which is based on a motif of newspaper articles and constitutional text, 27 works will be on display which communicate a deep spirituality that will shake the hearts of viewers with their straight messages. We hope you enjoy the prayer for peace captured from KAWAMURA's viewpoint.