Four years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake which continues to have a significant impact on the nation of Japan and its artists. On March 11th, the anniversary of the disaster, Mizuma Art Gallery presented "Howl", an exhibition of elaborate pencil drawings by Mikiko Kumazawa. Kumazawa's latest works reflect on the past four years, and her own personal emotional interpretation of the event. Collectively, here is an image of human nature's strength and weakness in the face of uncontrollable forces. Take a look at "Howl" after the jump!
Opening July 25th in collaboration with Tokyo's Mizuma Art Gallery, Zane Bennett Contemporary Art brings us a show by emerging Japanese artists and legends alike. IMPACTS! takes a look at work created between 2008 through today by names to put on your radar- Amano Yoshitaka, Ai Yamaguchi, Ishii Toru, Kaneno Tomiyuki, and Ishihara Nanami shown below. You may already be familiar with Ai Yamaguchi (featured here), and Amano Yoshitaka, famous for his designs for the Final Fantasy video games. Their works are filled with warring heroes, sirens and monsters drawn from mythology; some mix traditional Japanese folk tales with fantasy elements, while the new generation progressively exhibits Western influences.