Fourth Children’s Art Exhibition 2026 set to open - Vietnam Investment Review

The Lawrence S. Ting Foundation is presenting the fourth Children's Art Exhibition 2026, titled "Empower Light," opening on April 24 in Ho Chi Minh City and later in Hanoi. The exhibition features nearly 50 artworks and handcrafted pieces from students at eight special education schools and centers across Vietnam, curated by visual artist Ngo Dinh Bao Chau. It also includes picture books from a competition for children with disabilities and interactive activities.

An exhibition in Venice on Stéphane Dubé's painting of insects and snakes

The Museum of Oriental Art in Venice is presenting "MUSHI 虫. Dragonflies and Other Insects in the Painting of Stéphane Dubé," a solo exhibition featuring twenty-seven gouache works on paper. Curated by Marta Boscolo Marchi, Sachiko Natsume, and Giulia Passante, the show is organized into three thematic sections focusing on dragonflies, moths, and dead snakes. These contemporary works are displayed in dialogue with traditional Japanese artifacts from the museum's permanent collection, such as netsuke and military items, highlighting the symbolic significance of these creatures in Eastern culture.

Fulham artists and potters open new exhibition

The Society of Fulham Artists and Potters (SoFAP) is holding its free autumn exhibition at Fulham Library from 9 to 16 November. Around 65 local artists will display paintings, sculptures, and Japanese-inspired ceramics, including works by Sylvie Joly, Zohreh Paykani, Izzy Hutchison, and Amanda Withey. All artworks are for sale, with the society's chair Rowena Vaughan highlighting the event as a celebration of community creativity.

SRU hosts Saga University for joint art exhibition

Slippery Rock University (SRU) hosted a joint art exhibition with Saga University from Japan, featuring student and faculty artwork. The exhibition, titled "Drawing: Endlessly Fascinating, Not an End Result," opened with a reception on September 15, 2025, at the Martha Gault Art Gallery on SRU's campus.

Artists find an affordable home at this South Nashville coworking space

A group of Nashville artists opened the exhibition "A Night in Tokyo" at Kreate Hub, a South Nashville coworking and studio space. The show featured Japanese-inspired artwork and memorabilia from around a dozen local artists, including anime-themed pieces, a replica Tokyo apartment, Japanese food and drink, and vintage Nintendo games.

Today or Tomorrow at Atelier 8.18: A Home Studio Exhibition

Artists Emiko Mizukami, Julie Sabey, Lena Sin, and Nicole Lau present 'Today or Tomorrow,' a home studio exhibition at Atelier 8.18, the living room of curator Kyla Bourgh. The show explores food's connection to culture, memory, and community through each artist's personal lens—from Sin's joyful table settings inspired by travels to Mizukami's fantasy narratives around Japanese preservation traditions, Sabey's childhood birthday party memories, and Lau's transformation of prepackaged foods into colorful artworks.

Byungjun Kwon: ‘I want to break away from the passive, one-sided way of experiencing performances’

Byungjun Kwon, a South Korean artist whose practice spans sound, technology, and performance, has been selected for the 2025 Korean Artists Today project. Kwon began his career as a singer-songwriter in the 1990s, later earning a degree in Art Science from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and working as a hardware engineer at the Studio for Electro-Instrumental Music in Amsterdam. His works include immersive sound installations, custom-built instruments, and robotic stage machinery, with pieces such as 'Self-sounding Town Resonant Village' (2019) exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Busan. He is currently preparing a new project, 'Speak Slowly, and It Will Become a Song', for the Aichi Triennale in Japan.

Taiyo to Ame no Melody (Melody of Sun and Rain) at PALAS

Taiyo to Ame no Melody (Melody of Sun and Rain) at PALAS

The group exhibition *Taiyo to Ame no Melody (Melody of Sun and Rain)* opened at PALAS in Sydney, featuring new and recent works by artists Maureen Gallace, Trevor Shimizu, and Kazuyuki Takezaki. Curated by the Tokyo-based gallery Misako & Rosen, the show presents a contemplative dialogue between the three artists' distinct approaches to landscape and domestic scenes, running from February 7 through March 28, 2026.

Ava Roth Collaborates with Insects to Create ‘Kintsu-Bee’ Ceramic Vessels

Ava Roth has created a new series of ceramic vessels titled "Kintsu-Bee," in which she collaborates with honeybees to repair broken ceramics. The bees build honeycomb structures that fill cracks, replace missing handles, or mend fissures, echoing the Japanese kintsugi tradition of repairing broken pottery with metallic lacquer. Roth guides the bees around forms, resulting in hybrid objects that are part human-made ceramic and part insect-built comb.

Restrained Emotions Simmer in Shinsuke Inoue’s Tender Wood Sculptures

Japanese artist Shinsuke Inoue creates small, emotionally resonant wood sculptures of human figures. His practice began about ten years ago when he carved a likeness of his child, sparking a dedicated focus on figurative woodcarving that captures universal human essence rather than specific portraits.

αMプロジェクト2025‒2026「立ち止まり振り返る、そして前を向く vol.5 飯川雄大｜デコレータークラブ：すべて違う姿」 @ gallery αＭ

gallery αM in Tokyo is presenting the fifth edition of its αM Project 2025–2026 series, titled “Stop, Look Back, Face Forward. vol.5 Takehiro Iikawa: Decorator Crab－No Two Alike,” running from April 11 to June 13, 2026. The exhibition features works by artist Takehiro Iikawa, including pieces such as “Decorator Crab – Arrangement, Adjustment, Circulation” (2026) and “Decorator Crab – New Audience” (2026), with guest curator Aki Otsuki, a curator from the Ashiya City Museum of Art and History.

Hong Kong artist inspired by swimming pools invites you to slow down

Hong Kong artist Chan Wai-lap is making waves this month with two major installations centered on his signature motif of public swimming pools and bathhouses. His latest projects include 'Mimimomo Pool (2026)', a commission by UBS for Art Basel Hong Kong, and 'Jeremy’s Bathhouse', a solo exhibition at the Oi! art space in North Point. The latter features over a thousand ceramic tiles and objects created in collaboration with artisans from Jingdezhen, transforming a greenhouse-like venue into a Japanese-style communal bath.

An immersive digital art exhibition from Europe is coming to Osaka this May

A pop-up digital immersive art exhibition titled 'European Digital Art Experience: The Immersive in Osaka 2025' will run from May 2 to May 14 at Seaside Studio Caso in Osaka's Bay Area. Curated by the Italian multimedia art studio Fake Factory, the exhibition features works by artists including German artist Videogeist, Italian artist Leandro Summo, and Polish artist Pani Pawlosky. It is part of the Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025, held alongside the Osaka Expo, and coincides with the Expo's EU National Day on May 9.

Langkawi becomes an open canvas for contemporary art

Langkawi, Malaysia, is hosting the 29th Bakat Muda Sezaman (BMS29) showcase, transforming the island into an open-air gallery through July 26, 2026. Contemporary artworks and performances are installed in unexpected public locations such as padi fields, jetties, beaches, the Kuah public market, and Dataran Lang, featuring installations, digital art, and interactive works by emerging artists. The National Art Gallery director-general Amerrudin Ahmad stated the initiative aims to bring contemporary art closer to the public by moving beyond conventional gallery spaces.

ART OSAKA 2026 RETURNS WITH EXPANDED VENUES

ART OSAKA 2026 will take place from 28 May to 1 June with an expanded two-venue format, featuring over 60 galleries from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and beyond. The fair is split between the Galleries Section at Grand Green Osaka in the Umekita district and the Expanded Section at Creative Center Osaka, a former shipyard. A special exhibition, "Another 1990s—Kansai Artists Beyond Time," revisits regional art practices from the 1990s.

Students Showcase Their Artwork At New Gallery

Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School students recently debuted a diverse exhibition at the newly opened Patricia B. O’Neill Student Art Gallery. The showcase features over 20 student works, including sculptures, photographs, and paintings that explore complex themes ranging from grief and eternal love to African mythology and ancient Japanese pottery techniques.

International Quilt Museum to host artist Wada, professor Dudley

The International Quilt Museum is hosting a special event titled 'An Evening of Boro' on April 24, featuring artist Yoshiko Wada and professor Sandra Dudley. The event includes a reception for the exhibition 'Boro: The Hidden and the Visible in Japanese Mended Textiles,' a lecture by Dudley, and a guided tour of the exhibition led by Wada, who served as guest curator. The event will be livestreamed for remote attendees.

Kazuhiro Nomura: Monad @ HARMAS GALLERY

野村和弘：モナド @ HARMAS GALLERY

Japanese artist Kazuhiro Nomura is presenting a solo exhibition titled "Monad" at HARMAS GALLERY in Tokyo, running from April 4 to May 16, 2026. The show features a series of works including the titular piece "Monad" (2026), alongside earlier works such as "juno (B)" (2006) and "eva's breast" (2009), as documented in a photo report by ART iT.

Call for Applications: Reiwa 8 (2026) Overseas Training Program for Emerging Artists – Japanese Culture Promotion and Dissemination Project

公募｜令和8年度新進芸術家海外研修制度における「日本文化発信・普及事業」

Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunka-cho) is now accepting applications for the "Japanese Culture Promotion and Dissemination Project" under the 2026 (Reiwa 8) Overseas Training Program for Emerging Artists. This separate track supports established cultural figures, artists, and researchers—not just emerging artists—to conduct activities that promote and disseminate Japanese culture abroad. The program covers travel, accommodation, and activity costs up to 1.5 million yen, with派遣 periods ranging from 20 to 80 days between October 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027. Applications must be received by June 5, 2025, and results will be announced by early September.

Dugg Ci Dox (DUGG) by Ousmane Ba Exhibition

Ousmane Ba's exhibition 'Dugg Ci Dox (DUGG)' is being held in Tokyo, as reported by Tokyo Weekender. The show presents the artist's work, likely exploring themes of movement, place, or cultural identity through visual art.

Japan Crown Prince, Crown Princess Visit Belgian Exhibition

Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko visited a special exhibition at Kokugakuin University Museum in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, celebrating the 160th anniversary of Japan-Belgium diplomatic relations. The exhibition, opening May 23, 2026, features about 40 items from the Royal Museums of Art and History in Belgium, including a flower vase donated by Emperor Meiji and diplomatic documents. The royal couple viewed the exhibits while listening to explanations from a Belgian researcher.

Fancy a One-Kilometer Walk on Water in Shandong?

Japanese architect Junya Ishigami has designed the Zaishui Art Museum in Rizhao, Shandong, China, a striking ivory-white structure built on an artificial lake. The museum features a one-kilometer-long immersive walkway that allows water to flow into the interior, blurring the boundary between architecture and nature. Currently, the museum hosts an exhibition on the history and production of chocolate, blending industrial displays with contemporary art.

Lotte Hotels & Resorts taps graphic artist Verdy for ‘Art-cation' promotion

Lotte Hotels & Resorts has launched a collaborative promotion with Japanese graphic artist Verdy, timed to his first solo exhibition in Korea, “I Believe in Me,” at the Lotte Museum of Art in Seoul. The promotion, running until July 19, offers guests at Signiel Seoul, Lotte Hotel Seoul, and Lotte Hotel World limited-edition key card holders designed by Verdy, along with discounts on exhibition admission and specialized room packages that include tickets and upgrades.

RAQEL Solo Exhibition “Tea Time”

RAQEL's solo exhibition "Tea Time" is being presented by Japan Osaka Art Gallery TIME in Minoh, Osaka, from May 14 to May 18, 2025. The show features works that explore a gentle world between fantasy and reality, using motifs of tea, sweets, and young girls to evoke charm, fragility, and solitude.

Soshi Asai Solo Exhibition “Metamorphosis”

Soshi Asai's solo exhibition "Metamorphosis" is being presented by Japan Osaka Art Gallery TIME from April 23 to April 27, 2025, at a venue in Minoh, Osaka. The show features copperplate engravings that use dense monochrome gradations to explore the boundary between fantasy and reality, reflecting themes of solitude, anxiety, tenderness, and fragile human connections shaped by the pandemic and today's chaotic world.

Putting the “Me” in Anime: Self-Portrait in Iconic Anime and Manga Styles exhibit at Central Midtown Gallery

Central Midtown Gallery is hosting an exhibition titled 'Putting the ‘Me’ in Anime: Self-Portrait in Iconic Anime and Manga Styles.' The show features contemporary artists creating self-portraits that emulate the distinctive visual languages of major anime and manga series, blending personal identity with iconic pop culture aesthetics.

Two New Student-Curated Exhibits Open at USU Museum of Anthropology

Two new student-curated exhibitions have opened at the Utah State University Museum of Anthropology. "Japanese Fine Arts and Fashion," curated by Morgan Meyers, explores the connection between artistic expression and clothing traditions, particularly during Japan's Edo period. "Global Games: The Cross-Cultural Creation of Competition," curated by Benji Fowler-Merrell, examines the universal human desire for play and competition through interactive displays of historical games.

Manga Is a Pop Culture Phenomenon. It’s Also a Singular Art Form.

The New York Times publishes an article examining manga as both a global pop culture phenomenon and a distinct artistic medium. The piece explores how manga, originating in Japan, has evolved from a niche interest into a worldwide force, influencing entertainment, fashion, and visual storytelling. It highlights the unique visual language of manga—its panel layouts, expressive linework, and narrative pacing—that sets it apart from Western comics and other art forms.

Nintendo Museum Opening Art Gallery In September 2025

Nintendo announced an expansion to the Nintendo Museum in Japan, with a new Art Gallery opening on September 3, 2025, on the second floor of the museum's Exhibition Building. The gallery will display a wide range of game artwork, including character illustrations and concept art from Nintendo's video game library.

First Recipients of the 'NCAR x AWARE Female Artist Research Fellowship' Announced

「NCAR×AWARE 女性アーティストリサーチフェローシップ」の第1回採択者が決定

The National Center for Art Research (NCAR) and Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions (AWARE) have announced the first recipients of their joint research fellowship dedicated to women artists in Japan. Sculptor and critic Nodoka Odawara and Tokyo Photographic Art Museum curator Yuri Yamada were selected from 19 applicants to conduct specialized research on marginalized female figures in Japanese art history. Odawara will focus on pioneering female sculptors Kamono Ota and Toko Kuhara, while Yamada will investigate early female photographers from the Meiji to early Showa eras, including Ryu Shima and Yoshino Hanawa.