"And Still, I Call it Love"
Mar 7 — Apr 18, 2026
Tokyo International Gallery (Shinagawa–Tennoz, Tokyo) is pleased to announce, “And Still, I Call it Love”, a solo exhibition by Ayaka Shirota, on view from Saturday, March 7 to Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Shirota’s artistic practice centers on the inner world of emotions and memory. Drawing from emotional fluctuations, moments of vulnerability, and experiences of trauma encountered in everyday life, Shirota creates vividly colored psychological landscapes that feel bright yet subtly unsettling. Scattered throughout these scenes are figures rendered in charcoal, appearing as soul-like or conceptual presences without physical substance.
For the artist, depicting experiences that include negative emotions is an act of sublimation. Alongside the act of drawing itself, this process of sublimation forms the core of Shirota’s practice.
From this perspective, the exhibition’s theme of “Love” does not emerge abruptly. Rather, it can be read as an affirmation articulated in the present tense—one that has been reached beyond experiences imbued with negativity. In this exhibition, alongside works created on the rectangular canvases the artist has consistently used, Shirota presents new works on roll canvas and plasterboard, marking a significant new direction in their practice.
Through a body of work that approaches “Love” via a diverse range of materials and methods, the exhibition offers a space in which viewers are invited to rediscover the forms of love that surround them and to engage in an intimate, internal dialogue.
ARTISTS
VENUE
- URL
- https://tokyointernationalgallery.co.jp/ja/
- 住所
- 東京都品川区東品川1-32-8 TERRADA Art Complex II 2F
- 開館時間
- 12:00 — 18:00
- 休館日
- Sun・Mon・Holiday
- 入館料
- 無料
- 備考
- ※2025年3月1日より、営業日が変更となります。
NOTES
As part of the opening event, we will host an interactive art appreciation session. In this dialogue-based format, participants explore a single artwork together by sharing what they see, feel, and think. No prior knowledge of art is required. This 30-minute session offers an opportunity to deepen your reflections on the exhibition theme, “Love.” The session will be facilitated by a gallerist from Tokyo International Gallery.
・ Interactive Art Appreciation Session : Saturday, March 7, 2026
(Limited to 5 participants per session)
Advance reservation required
Session 1: 5:00 PM–
Session 2: 5:30 PM–
・ Reservation Method : Please make your reservation through the website listed below.
Your reservation will be considered complete upon receipt of a confirmation email from us.
・ Reservation Website : https://forms.gle/jZzaeo7j4em7N6KSA
(Please note that registration will close once capacity is reached.)
・ Reservation Period : Tuesday, February 10 ~ Friday, March 6, 2026
◾ Opening Reception
・ Date : Saturday, March 7, 2026, 17:00 ~ 20:00
・ Venue : Tokyo International Gallery
・ Gallery Tour : Saturday, March 7, 2026, 18:30 ~
