Grand Opening Exhibition｜3331 Presents TOKYO : Part 1

+81 Gallery+Lab
This "capsule concept gallery" project is intended not only to introduce young artists from Japan and abroad, but also to cultivate up-and-coming talent by providing them with integrated support for exhibitions, creations collection books, sales, and overseas shows. Our aim is to create a small gallery space full of real experimentation that sends budding creators, Japanese or otherwise, out to work actively on the international stage. The service program has also been designed so that any young creator can rent gallery space to display their work, not just selected artists.
http://www.plus81.com/gallery

As a child my impression of Tokyo was of the simple yet vibrant downtown. My memories of Tokyo in my elementary school years were of the underside of economic development, the pollution, waste, smog. Then the river and the neighbourhood were cleaned up, but the city’s persistent strength, likened to that of weeds, was lost. Rather than create a superficially clean, beautiful city, it brought the loss of an inner strength which once defined Tokyo. Now our base has moved from Aoyama to the downtown area of Suehirocho. Even within the chaos which characterized my childhood experience of Tokyo, there arises a new era with the encouraging atmosphere of a direct vitality – 3331. Here lie the elements which bring young artists flocking to this space. And +81 gallery, from its small classroom here, also sends out its message to the world. In this exhibition, celebrating the grand opening of 3331, we present Hideki Inaba, whose graceful expression containing a near insubstantial intricacy, reflects the certain refinement of Tokyo. Having worked together over 14 years, we are pleased to present Hideki Inaba on a new stage. （Satoru Yamashita）
＜Selected Artist＞Hideki Inaba

稲葉英樹｜Hideki INABA
Inaba has been engaged as a graphic designer since 1997, pursuing new innovations in graphics. Exhibitions include “NEWLINE”(2004), a collaboration with Shu Uemura “BTB24”(2007) and “GRAPHIC LINE”(2007). His work has been highly appreciated both in Japan and internationally, being selected as the cover of Taschen’s “Graphic Design Now” and presenting “Print Line” at Paris’Louvre as part of the exhibition “KANSEI”(2009). He has most recently held a solo exhibition “9010 Inaba Hideki”at Mitsubishi-Jisho Artium (2010).
http://hidekiinaba.com/

"PRINTER" 2010
printers, computer
Courtesy of the Artist

When I think about it I have lived a long time in Tokyo.
Liking the city and hating the city –emotions repeated day by day,
But maybe really liking the city is like this.