Resol Gallery Ueno

The Sun and the Moon (2020, Keita Shimizu, acrylic paint on wooden panel, set of 2)

On the large pedestrian bridge in front of Ueno Station, there are two large objects themed on the sun and the moon. Each is installed in a different place on the bridge, and the "moon" object in particular is not well known, but both are works by the late Shoji Yokokawa, an environmental designer and one of my university teachers. Through the appearance of a sculpture that expresses the difference between yin and yang in an abstract form, it encourages travelers visiting the Ueno area to make small discoveries. With respect to Professor Yokokawa...

Panda (2020 Masaru Ishikawa and Keita Shimizu, acrylic paint on resin figure)

Based on the Japanese block-type figure BE@BRICK, the symbol of Ueno, the panda has been dyed in cherry blossom pink.
Baby pandas who have their fur licked by their mother turn pink, so the cherry blossom pink panda is a sign of love. The object, which has been painted over and over again with time and love, will grow up together with Risol Ueno, loved by many customers.

EDO, rotated 90° (2020 Keita Shimizu, printed on canvas)

If you invert the colors of an old map from the end of the Edo period and rotate it 90 degrees, it looks like a satellite photo of Tokyo at night. Where is Resol Ueno?

Ueno (2020 Keita Shimizu, acrylic paint on wooden panel)

There was a painting in a foreign land, depicting a historic town crowded with many buildings with simple black lines. Ueno is also lined with many unique buildings, but what would happen if I depicted the coexistence of these buildings in a simple way, not in a descriptive way, but with a boyish feeling? I took up my brush with a very simple thought, without thinking too deeply.

The "Tenno" in the Edo Santenno Festival refers to Gozu Tenno, the deity worshipped at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, who is a god who protects against epidemics and is considered to be the same entity as Susanoo.
During the Edo period, Kanda Myojin Shrine was dedicated to the sole deity, Taira no Masakado, but the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, divided the shrine into three, along with Gozu Tenno, a local deity whose deity was Susanoo. If you walk around the Kanda Myojin Shrine to the left, you will see the three shrines.

Ichinomiya was in charge of Minamidenmacho, Ninomiya was in charge of Odenmacho, and Sannomiya was in charge of Nihonbashi Kofunecho.

The festivals of these three shrines were enthusiastically celebrated by Edokko (people of Edo) as the three major festivals of the city.

Here, I would like you to pay close attention to the banners at Odenmacho. They are printed using a technique called "kurasuri," which means that instead of rubbing color, the paper is embossed. Interesting, isn't it?

This series is all about Edo food.
In spring it's sushi, in summer it's rainbows and eels, in autumn it's tempura on the moon, and in winter it's snow and soba.

What exactly are offering slips and senshafuda?
Name slips started as name slips that were posted at shrines and temples with one's family name or name on them, and gradually enthusiasts began exchanging their own slips. They play a role similar to the business card exchange of the Edo period.

Then, nameslip societies were formed and developed into a salon culture.

As ukiyo-e developed, multi-colored senshafuda began to be produced, and more elaborate tags were produced, with competition over colors and designs.

The Toto Nameplate Association was established in 1900 and continues to exist today as a social gathering place for nameslips and the preservation of Edo culture.