A contemporary art stop fits neatly into a stroll through Gion. Gallery Shirakawa in Shimogawara, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, is holding “Artists Who Shape the Era: Contemporary Art & Luxury”, a show of 24 works by three artists: Natsuki Kurimoto (contemporary urushi lacquer), Kazumasa Ohira (contemporary tea bowls) and Season Lao (contemporary art). It runs from Friday, October 16 to Monday, November 23 (a national holiday), 2026.
The exhibition introduces three artists with the idea of connecting art that is “looked at” to art that is experienced as a space, and to a luxurious way of living.
Glittering color in lacquer: 10 works by Natsuki Kurimoto
Natsuki Kurimoto is a contemporary lacquer artist born in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, and a professor at Kyoto City University of Arts. He uses traditional techniques to take lacquer in new directions. His works are in the collections of The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto, HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO and Bulgari Shinsaibashi, as well as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
His deep green stands out in particular. It is described as resonating with Bulgari’s emeralds, and it has been installed at the Bulgari maison. Ten works are on view.
“A tea bowl is sculpture”: 8 tea bowls by Kazumasa Ohira
Kazumasa Ohira is a sculptor who began with stone and metal, then turned to clay after encountering Shigaraki earth. His 4.1-meter-wide earthen sphere “Fu Kangen” traveled to four venues, including the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2015 (Daichi no Geijutsusai). He later declared “A tea bowl is sculpture” and began making contemporary tea bowls. His work is also in the collection of Steve Jobs.
Called “a universe in the hand”, eight carefully selected bowls are shown here. Seeing them one by one on their pedestals is a pleasure a gallery does best.
Ink-painting space: 6 works by Season Lao
Season Lao was born in Macau in 1987. Drawn to Japan’s snowy landscapes, he creates worlds like ink paintings. He has been based in Hokkaido since 2010 and in Kyoto since 2020, and in 2023 held a solo show at the National Museum of Asian Arts in Nice, France. For the entrance of The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka he made a 10-meter work using Hakata-ori textile.
Six works are on view under the theme “Blank space, empty room, living white”.
Information
- Exhibition: Artists Who Shape the Era: Contemporary Art & Luxury — Natsuki Kurimoto, Season Lao, Kazumasa Ohira
- Dates: Friday, October 16 – Monday, November 23 (national holiday), 2026
- Hours: 12:00–18:00
- Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays (open on Monday, November 23)
- Venue: Gallery Shirakawa (430-1 Gion Shimogawara Kamibentencho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto)
- Phone: 075-532-2616
- Website: https://www.galleryshirakawa.com
- Online store (Japanese): https://gshirakawa.theshop.jp
