ADF Art Gallery Project Vol.35 Namae Myoji× Ayuko Takahashi Two-Person Exhibition “Unframing the bodies”

ADF(NPO Aoyama Design Forum) is pleased to present “Unframing the bodies,” the 35th exhibition of the “ADF Art Gallery Project,” by artists Namae Myoji and Ayuko Takahashi, from Friday, September 5 to Saturday, September 20, 2025, at GARDE Gallery in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo.

Myoji presents three-dimensional works using dressing tables, suggesting that placing value on physical “beauty” and “attractiveness” is an act that can lead to confidence and joy for those who seek it, while also being something imposed by the gaze of others and by social norms. Takahashi focuses on the act of treating the body as a material. In her paintings, which reconfigure artificial flowers in a patchwork-like manner, she highlights the fragmented nature of the body, adjusted by its individual parts. In another work, where she casts her own skin in silicone to form a bag-shaped object, she attempts to transform materials of differing value, expressing a critical gaze toward the current state of cosmetic medicine, which treats the body as a material.

Namae Myoji
Based on her own experiences, she addresses issues surrounding the body, sexuality, identity, and consumption. In recent years, she has focused on the narrative potential of text in her work. Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1987. 2019 Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts.

Exhibition
2025 – “In the beginning, Womankind was the sun – Weren’t we?” (KOTARO NUKAGA Three)
Solo Exhibition “Not an Epilogue” (spiral art gallery)
2024 – Solo Exhibition “I’ll Give You a Name” (N project)
2023 – ATAMI ART GRANT 2023 (Atami, Shizuoka)
Solo Exhibition “Babel and Utopia,” SICF23 Grand Prize (Spiral)
2022 – CAF Award 2022 (Daikanyama Hillside Terrace)

Ayuko Takahashi
Her practice focuses on lookism, exploring related themes such as physicality, gender, and interpersonal relationships. Based on interviews and personal experiences, she works across painting, installation, and writing. Born in 1994. 2018 Graduated from Tama Art University, Faculty of Fine Arts. 2021 Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts.

Exhibition
2023 – “The Fairest Fairs #2” (TAV GALLERY)
“Contraction and Removal” (HIRO OKAMOTO GALLERY)
2022 – Solo Exhibition “Kalavinka” (TAV GALLERY)
2021 – Solo Exhibition “no exit” (JINEN GALLERY)